ImmLight of All Circumstances

This is a special Canadian elections episode where we talk to Brooks Arcand-Paul, a nehiyaw napew (Cree) from kipohtakaw (Alexander First Nation) in Treaty 6 territory, on where indigenous and immigration issues overlap; Professor R. Cassandra Lord, a University of Toronto professor on her recent spousal sponsorship experience and how it will be influencing her vote; and with Andrew Griffith, former Director General, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration on party #cdnimm platforms.

Links:

Andrew Griffith's Blog: https://multiculturalmeanderings.com/

Elections Canada on How to Vote: https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=vote&document=index&lang=e

Dr. R. Cassandra Lord's UofT Profile: https://wgsi.utoronto.ca/person/lord-cassandra/

Brooks Arcand-Paul's Article on Indigenous Law: https://nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/law/rule-of-law/2021/indigenous-laws-a-critical-part-of-canada-s-legal

This Immlight episode features Zeynab Ziaie, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer who is deep in the trenches of temporary resident applications. She focuses on study permit refusals. In this episode, Will, Lou, and Zeynab talk about Chinook, a system that is slowly being unveiled to the public through various affidavits that Canada's Department of Justice has been introducing to various judicial review applications that deal with temporary resident applications. For the longest time, we have had our thoughts and ideas on how Canada's immigration department had dealt with temporary resident applications. Now as the picture becomes clearer, Zeynab and the hosts try to unpack the implications of such a system, rudimentary as it is. Does it respect the fundamental principles of administrative law in Canada? Does it promote transparency and the intelligibility of decision-making? Find out more in this episode.

In this episode, Will and Lou speak to Lu Xu in order to break the traditional myths of Chinese immigration and immigration stereotypes surrounding the Chinese-Canadian community.

In this episode, Will and Lou speak to two individuals who have particular vantage points in the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. They speak to Waheeda Ekhlas Smith, the head of a Group of Five Sponsorship (G5) Sponsorship group and talk about the pain points encountered in the process that are only exacerbated by the current tragedy. Next, they speak to Hadia Samim, an astute advocate who works in human rights and development.

Some resources regarding Afghanistan:

A Modern History Of Afghanistan And The Taliban by Scott Tong, 17 August 2021, Available at: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/08/17/afghanistan-taliban-history

DW News: Explained: Who are the Taliban?, 16 August 2021, Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/explained-who-are-the-taliban/a-58880650

This is part two of a series. In this episode, Will and Lou speak to two amazing international student advisors, Mayoori Malankov (York University) and Ravneet Panech (University of Calgary). Mayoori is an immigration lawyer and Ravneet is licensed immigration consultant. As you will hear, both of them are immersed in the issues facing international students in Canada. Our hosts speak to Ravneet and Mayoori about the current challenges faced by international students in their Canadian journey.

This is part one of a two-part series. In this episode, Will and Lou speak to two amazing international student advisors, Mayoori Malankov (York University) and Ravneet Panech (University of Calgary). Mayoori is an immigration lawyer and Ravneet is licensed immigration consultant. As you will hear, both of them are immersed in the issues facing international students in Canada. Our hosts speak to Ravneet and Mayoori about the current challenges faced by international students in their Canadian journey.

In this episode, Will and LJ conduct a post-launch analysis of the TR to PR pathway. They talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of a rushed program. Here are some links that Will and LJ talk about:

TR to PR Pathway

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway.html

Toronto Star Article https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/06/06/canada-trumpeted-its-special-one-time-immigration-program-for-international-grads-and-essential-workers-but-did-it-work-in-the-end.html

This is an episode like no other. Will and LJ process the recent events involving the discovery of victims of cultural erasure, genocide, and white supremacy.

In this episode, Will is away so Lou sits down Dr. Fiona Katharina Seiger, a researcher at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The aim in this episode is to take a few steps back from Canadian immigration and see the bigger global picture of human movement by looking at immigration infrastructures and how they impact transitions, hybrid identities, and human movement. We talk to Dr. Seiger about these issue from a global sociological lens. Infrastructures are defined more broadly here, to capture all tools and implements that the various actors in the world of human migration employ to move from one place to another in the age of a technological revolution and diffusion of information. Dr. Seiger is the host of the Migration Podcast, which is a digital platform for migration scholars from all over the world. Head on over to their website to find out more: https://www.imiscoe.org/news-and-blog/podcast

In this episode, Lou and Will 'unbox' the new Temporary Resident Visa and Study Permit portal, finding potential issues where applicants can make innocent mistakes, pain points, etc. They highlight the bigger implications of the government's move to a new portal system. What does this all mean in the age of machine-learning, and what does it all mean from a client-experience perspective. Lastly, they provide their top pros and cons for the new system.

To watch the video where we walk through the portal, please visit: https://youtu.be/4aSsarTc0WE

To access the new portal, please visit: https://www.cic.gc.ca/visit-visiter/en/instructions-ircc-portal