Immigration Lawyer Serving Haldimand County

No — federal processing does not depend on where in Canada you live. Choose representation on preparation quality, not geography.

We can be added as representative mid-process, answer requests and fairness letters, or rebuild the application after refusal. Deadlines are short — bring the letter immediately.

First 15 minutes free, then $199 per half-hour for advice; applications are quoted flat after assessment, with government fees listed separately.

No. Immigration is federal and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada processes applications electronically, so where in Canada you live does not change eligibility or processing. Your address matters for provincial programs such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and for where you intend to settle, but not for how a federal application is assessed.

No. There is no minimum necessary income requirement for sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child. That requirement applies to parent and grandparent sponsorships. A spousal sponsor does sign an undertaking to provide for the sponsored person's basic needs for three years from the grant of permanent residence, and must not be in default of a previous undertaking or certain debts.

Inland applies where you live together in Canada and can support an open work permit while waiting, but leaving Canada during processing carries risk. Outland is processed through a visa office abroad, is often faster, and preserves a right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division if refused. The right choice depends on the applicant's current status, travel needs and the strength of the file — it is a strategic decision worth making deliberately.

Evidence that accumulates over time rather than documents assembled in one week: joint accounts and shared bills, a lease or title in both names, insurance and beneficiary designations, message and call history, photographs spanning the relationship including with each other's families, travel records, and consistent detailed knowledge of each other's lives. Officers look for depth and consistency, and inconsistency does more damage than a thin file.

Twelve continuous months of cohabitation in a conjugal relationship. Short separations for work or family reasons do not necessarily break continuity, but the twelve months must be genuine cohabitation rather than a dating relationship. Where you cannot meet that test because of circumstances beyond your control, the conjugal partner category may be available, though it is assessed strictly.

730 days of physical presence in every five-year period. Days accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse or parent abroad, or working full-time abroad for a Canadian business, can count in defined circumstances. If you are close to the line or already short, get advice before travelling or before applying to renew a permanent resident card.

You need 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada in the five years before you apply. Time in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident can count at half value, up to a maximum. Applicants aged 18 to 54 must also meet the language requirement and pass the knowledge test. Count the days carefully — filing short results in refusal.

Treat it as urgent. It means an officer has a concern serious enough to put to you before deciding, and the deadline is short. The response should address the specific concern directly, with documents rather than assurances. Bring the letter in immediately, because a strong response is far easier than repairing a refusal that carries a misrepresentation finding.

It depends whether it has been decided and how material it was. Misrepresentation under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act generally carries a five-year bar, and it can arise from an omission as easily as from a false statement. Correcting an error proactively is almost always better than waiting to see whether it is noticed. Bring the full history, including anything you are worried about.

It depends on the decision. Some family class refusals can be appealed to the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Others have no appeal, and the route is judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada — with a 15-day deadline for decisions made in Canada and 60 days for those made outside it. Sometimes reapplying with a rebuilt file is the better path. We tell you which of the three fits your situation.

Sometimes. Inland spousal sponsorship applicants can generally apply for an open work permit while their application is processed. A bridging open work permit is available to certain economic class applicants who already hold valid status. Maintained status may allow you to continue working under the conditions of an expiring permit if you applied to extend before it expired. The details matter, and working without authorization creates serious problems.

Yes. We can be appointed as authorized representative partway through, review what was filed, respond to requests for further information, and correct course where possible. Bring everything that was submitted, including the forms and any correspondence. Where a consultant or another representative filed something inaccurate, that needs to be identified early rather than discovered by an officer.

Both can be authorized representatives before Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. A lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario can also appear before the Immigration and Refugee Board and bring judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada, is bound by professional conduct rules, and carries professional liability insurance. Where a file may end up in litigation or involves admissibility, that difference becomes practical rather than academic.

The first 15 minutes are free, then $199 per half-hour for advice and assessment. Applications are quoted as a flat legal fee once we have assessed the file, with government processing fees, biometrics and third-party costs listed separately. You will know the full picture before you decide to proceed.