Immigration lawyers in Kitchener-Waterloo

No. You can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) yourself. A lawyer is most useful when something has gone wrong — a refusal, a finding of misrepresentation or inadmissibility, a removal order — or for a refugee claim or an appeal. If you pay someone for advice, they must be a lawyer licensed by a Canadian law society, a Quebec notary, or a consultant licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

You must have been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years) in the five years before you apply, and be a permanent resident. Applicants aged 18 to 54 also need to show English or French skills and pass the citizenship test.

It depends on the type of decision. Some refusals can be appealed to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Others can only be challenged by asking the Federal Court for leave to seek judicial review, and the deadline is short: 15 days for a matter arising in Canada, 60 days for a matter arising outside Canada. Speak to a lawyer quickly.

The OINP is Ontario's economic immigration program. It nominates people with the skills and experience the province needs for permanent residence. A nomination is not a visa — the Government of Canada makes the final decision.

To practise law in Ontario a lawyer must be licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, which also licenses paralegals. You can look up anyone in the Law Society's public Lawyer and Paralegal Directory, which shows their status and any discipline history. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.