We are thrilled to announce our 400th Immigration Law Blog Post!

Thanks to your interest, we have been able to address a wide range of topics in US and Canadian immigration law that impact all our lives. You have been active participants in our blogs sending us your comments that we endeavor to post and respond to. Of course due to the high volume of comments, we cannot respond to all of them right away!

We look forward to posting our next 400 bringing you the most relevant topics and issues on Canadian and US Immigration.

Thank you again for your patronage! Without you there would be no us.

Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Ford allegedly said this week that Toronto is “full’”. With a population of 2.5 million already, Ford said that, “We’re the largest city in Canada and we don’t have the infrastructure to deal with more people. The city is congested as is. Where are we going to fit another million people?” he said.

Ford is denying that his comments had anything to do with immigrants, saying that he meant Toronto is too full to handle anyone moving in from anywhere, regardless of their country of origin. However, in the past Ford has also said that Toronto should be a “refugee-free zone”. He cited Toronto’s debt and infrastructure problems, but seems to fail to recognize the economic benefits from having more immigrants living and working in Toronto.

His opponents considered his comments considerably offensive, demanding an apology and even withdrawal from the mayoral race. His opponent Rocco Rossi said “this is hard economic common sense – without newcomers we simply have no growing future in the city of Toronto,” and went on to call Ford unfit to be mayor. While his other opponent, George Smitherman, said that if, “you don’t look like Rob Ford – you don’t talk like Rob Ford – then you don’t fit in his Toronto.” One of Ford’s other opponents, Joe Pantalone, is a newcomer himself, having moved to Canada from Italy at the age of 13.

Ford’s opponent Sarah Thomson allegedly said, “Rob Ford continues to play to people’s fears without providing viable solutions to the challenges facing our society. If any mayor in Toronto’s past had shown such disregard towards an immigrant group, the city would not have the strength in diversity we are so proud of today.”

Ford seems particularly out of touch, and previously mentioned the church should have a larger role in city hall, ignoring the important fundamental barrier that remains between the separation of religion and politics in order for government to function fairly for all – no matter what their beliefs are. There are many different religious communities in Toronto, and even Ford himself said it would be difficult to include them all.

The future mayor of the city, whoever it will be, will be the mayor of all of Toronto, which means eight per cent of Canada’s population and more than 25 per cent of Canada’s immigrants, more than half of which have lived in Canada for less than 15 years.

Given Canada’s aging demographics and Toronto’s in particular, Ford’s protectionist stance does not bode well for our economy. He may be the most “fiscally responsible” candidate but without immigration flow, our cities would grind to a halt. This fact  is really not up for debate.

I am a fan of ‘old school economics” that makes the government accountable but not old school thinking which unfortunately many conservatives come with, namely, an anti-immigration bias. Let’s hope that whoever wins, understands that immigration is and has always been a win-win for everyone.

We want to wish our immigration and visa clients, friends and folks at Homeland Security south of the border a happy and healthy 4th of July.

Dealing with the United States Customs and Border Protection, USCIS, the Department of State and other agencies on behalf of our clients from the US, Canada and overseas, gives us a special perspective on the meaning of this holiday of American Independence.

America since the beggining has been a country of freedom for immigrants fleeing oppressionive governments worldwide and for whom new opportunities await.

Much has changed since the early days of the Declaration of
Independence but in our law practice we still experience, through or clients, dreams of a better life for people and their families who choose the US as their new home.

We are proud to be part of that process and while acknowledging the many problems facing America today, we can still celebrate her greatness as a country of freedom and therefore a desired immigration destination.

Happy 4th of July!

July 1 Canada Day is a very special holiday for us.

As an immigration law firm assisting individuals, families and companies with their Canadian immigration and visa applications, we feel proud  to have been a small part in making Canada a better place for all of us. Immigrants are what make Canada great. Their varied skills and  diverse cultures are what make Canada a popular immigration destination worldwide.

We find that our clients whether they are corporate transferees or an immigrant family, really appreciate being here and are excited to contribute Canada’s culture and economy. Calling Canada “your home” does not seem to take very long. Canada Day is our day.

Enjoy!

As the G20 Summit is fast approaching, people are asking whether our office in Toronto is open for business, or do we have restricted hours.

Well, since we are located in central Toronto at the corner of Yonge and Eglinton, outside the security zone, there will be no dispruption at Niren and Associates! We are accessible by the subway, car or transit.

There are certainly advantages to being located in North Toronto!

Enjoy your weekend.

A very controversial Indian televangelist was denied a visa to travel to Canada for the Toronto Journey of Faith conference being held over July 2nd to July 4th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The conference is the 3rd annual Islamic Conference, featuring vendors and an assortment of speakers.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada did not release a statement on the denial of visa, citing privacy. The televangelist, Dr. Zakir Naik, was also denied entry to Britain last week.

Naik’s views were the reason his visa was denied, according to an unnamed source who told the National Post. In his talks, Naik recommends beating gays and lesbians, killing those who leave Islam, that everyone who is Muslim should be a terrorist, that Jews are the biggest enemy of Muslims and that men are within their right to beat their wives lightly, but not in the face or hard enough to leave a mark. According to Naik, women’s choice of clothing also makes them more susceptible and vulnerable to rape. Very un-Canadian views to say the least.

Facebook groups sprung up in an effort to protest his arrival and after the ban was announced the founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, Tarek Fatah, who said he had e-mailed MP’s telling them he didn’t want hate-mongers allowed into Canada last week, said, “We are very happy that government agencies, having been made aware of his statements, have taken this decision.”

In the eyes of most Canadians, these views should come across as vile, outrageous, offensive and frightening. And, newcomers who have immigrated to Canada may have even fled countries where these ideologies are entrenched in law. However, it is important to note that this man has been denied entry into Canada for what he may be saying – for his potential words, not his actions.

The majority of Naik’s beliefs are also not unique to any religion, but are shared by fundamentalists of many belief systems world wide and these people have been let into Canada before.

In the big picture, the principle of free speech, being able to say whatever you feel in Canada without directly inciting violence, is a cherished freedom. Barring someone for what he might say and what his belief system is, however distasteful, sets a dangerous precedent of government censorship–that in my view is also very un-Canadian.

For those cheering his visa denial, I say “Be careful what you wish for” because the next person denied entry to Canada could be someone  you know and with whose beliefs you share. I would rather risk having potential hate mongers cross our borders than having our government pick and choose whose ideas are suitable for us. Democratic countries are sustained by open societies not government controlled ones….even when we may agree with them.