Immigration Lawyer problems, can they be fixed?
I hired an immigration lawyer to handle my application for permanent residence to Canada. He prepared all the paperwork, got me to sign the forms, and submitted the application. I thought everything was ok. However a few months later, I received the entire application back in the mail from the Canadian government with a cover letter stating that the application was mailed to the wrong immigration office and that my application could not be processed. What’s more, they also told me that the incorrect fee was enclosed.
Needless to say this news caused me a great deal of stress. When I asked my lawyer about this he blamed the government stating that this sort of thing happens all of the time! Well I don’t see how this was the governments fault and here I am with an unfilled application and out of pocket thousands due to my lawyer’s screw up.
What do I do now? I’m really concerned.
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I’m sorry to hear about your ordeal. Based on what you described it does indeed appear that your lawyer dropped the ball. Depending on the specific type of permanent resident application you applied for and your own place of residence, there would be a certain immigration office that would take you application. The applicable government fees are clearly outlined and can be found on the CIC website at www.cic.gc.ca
If you have not already done so, I would approach your lawyer and demand an explanation in writing as to what went wrong here. Further, you should consider seeking alternative legal assistance as such a mistake is inexcusable. The good news is that you are still able to submit your PR application again but make sure it is handled properly this time!
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President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
