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An Immigration Law Podcast

An Immigration Law Podcast
Immigration lawyers Chantal Desloges and Cathryn Sawicki examine the current state of Canadian immigration law, breaking down policy, practice, procedure, and recent cases from across the country.

Tune in to hear tales from the trenches, practical advocacy tips, and business advice for immigration law practitioners. Each episode features distinguished guests from across Canada. From the publisher that brought you the Immigration Law Series, Emond Publishing presents Welcome Home: An Immigration Law podcast.
NEW

Episode 12 - Making Connections South of the Border, with Erick Widman

Has the US immigration system earned its negative reputation and is Canada’s immigration system as welcoming as we think it is? 

In this episode Chantal and Cathryn sit down with Erick Widman to discuss United States’ immigration pathways and their unique barriers, including the "H1B Cap,” spousal sponsorship restrictions, filing fees, permanent residence country caps, and waiver requests.  

How does the uncertainty, wait times, and expenses generated by these barriers affect the United States in the global talent and investment competitions? Many companies today are transnational and if there is no clear pathway to permanent residency, immigrants and companies will go elsewhere. 

Many believe the US immigration system is tougher than the Canadian system, but Canada in some ways rolls up our welcome mat too. Listen to Chantal, Cathryn, and Erick unpack the US and Canada’s surprisingly dissimilar stances on criminal inadmissibility.  

Other topics include: 

  • Marijuana and US immigration. 

  • The politicization of legal immigrants vs. refugees. 

  • US immigration reform 

  • Travel during application processes

  • Humanitarian parole 

  • Inter-company transfer visas 

As an immigration practitioner, have you ever felt like you needed an entire workday just to go through your inbox? Instead of feeling overwhelmed, follow Chantal and Cathryn’s tailored time-management tips for immigration practitioners. In this segment of “Things I Wish I Knew,” Chantal and Cathryn discuss, utilizing outlook, managing client expectations concerning communication, farming out work when it is not your speciality, and more.  
Special Guest: Erick Widman, former expat, US immigration lawyer, and founder of Passage Immigration Law in Portland, Oregon. Erick’s firm specializes in both immigration and business Law, helping his clients to live globally and navigate the US immigration processes.  

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The Hosts of Welcome Home

 
Chantal Desloges Headshot

Chantal Desloges

Chantal is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in both citizenship/immigration law and refugee law. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1999, and was an associate and subsequently a partner at Green & Spiegel law firm until 2010, when she established her own law firm, Desloges Law Group Professional Corporation. Her practice encompasses every possible area of Canadian citizenship, immigration, and refugee law, such as business class applications, skilled workers, family sponsorships, work and study permits, refugee cases, and citizenship applications, as well as appeals and judicial reviews of refused cases.

Chantal taught immigration law at Osgoode Hall Law School in 2000-1, and served as curriculum coordinator and lecturer for the Seneca College Immigration Practitioner Certificate Program from 1999-2010. She currently teaches current and aspiring immigration consultants at both IMEDA and Herzing College.

In March 2012, Chantal was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, and in May 2012 she was awarded the Canadian Bar Association Young Lawyers' Pro Bono Award. In 2013, she was appointed by the minister of justice to serve for a three-year term on the Federal Court Rules Committee, and was reappointed for a further three years in 2016. In 2014, Chantal was elected to the Executive of the Canadian Bar Association, Immigration Section, where she continues to serve.

Cathryn Sawicki Headshot

Cathryn Sawicki

Cathryn Sawicki is a Canadian immigration lawyer and the Global Business Immigration Services Team Lead at PwC Law LLP. She has particular expertise in the area of compliance, inadmissibility, and corporate strategic immigration solutions.

Cathryn is a member of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), the Ontario Bar Association, and the Law Society of Upper Canada. She completed her law degree at Osgoode Hall and earned a Certificate in Canadian Immigration with high honours.

She has lectured before the Law Society of Upper Canada, Federated Press, Professional Development Seminars, the CBA, and other organizations. She has appeared on CBC television and radio, Rogers TV, CFRB 1010, and CKNW radio as a guest speaker. Cathryn has also been interviewed for various newspapers and online articles and has taught immigration law at various colleges and law schools across Canada.