Overview
We are a leading full-service boutique Canadian Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship, and Administrative law firm based in BC, serving clients across Canada and the globe.
Our focus is in the representation of families (sponsors/applicants), international students/designated learning institutions, and temporary workers with complex immigration applications and litigation. Our immigration litigation work focuses on Immigration Appeals before the Immigration Appeal Division, Inadmissibility matters before the Immigration Division, and Judicial Reviews before the Federal Court of Canada. We actively engage in strategic litigation and community lawyering.
Practice Areas:
- Judicial Reviews
- Immigration Appeals
- Family Class Sponsorship
- Permanent Residence and Citizenship
- Refused Applications, Procedural Fairness Letters, Reconsideration
- International Students and Foreign Workers
- Refugees Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds
- Detention Reviews and Complex Inadmissibility
- Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
- Strategic Litigation and Community Lawyering
Rankings
National
Regional
Vancouver
About Our Clients
We represent clients across Canada and from all over the world.
Our dedication and focus on our craft enable us to assist you and your loved ones. Canadian immigration is not an easy process, but we are here to be your trusted advisors in your time of greatest need. We take care of your best interests and at the same time work to break down systemic barriers, help change law and policy, and advocate for Indigenous sovereignty.
Rankings
National
Regional
Vancouver
Practice Areas
- Immigration
Judicial Reviews & Mandamus
We challenge the reasonableness and procedural fairness of negative immigration decisions at the Federal Court.
Our practice is to preserve your rights to help you understand the reasons why you were refused/delayed on your immigration or refugee matter and hold decision-makers accountable.
Immigration Appeals
We litigate residency obligation, sponsorship, criminality, and removal order appeals with the Immigration Appeal Division.
We prepare you for ADR and Hearing so you can present your best case to the Tribunal.
Refugees/Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds
We take an informed and research-based approach to refugee claims and H&C applications. We look beyond the National Documentation Packages and investigate the unique circumstances of your claim.
Family Class Sponsorship
We specialize in spousal sponsorships, dependent child sponsorships, parent and grandparent sponsorships, and complex family reunification matters.
We are often asked to provide humanitarian and compassionate-based submissions and substantive legal submissions where immigration alleges requirements for sponsorship are not met and where the facts are not straightforward.
Refused Applications, Procedural Fairness Letters, & Reconsideration
We help you navigate the best available remedy options when your immigration application is delayed, refused, or challenged.
Individuals and families find us when they are facing a procedural fairness deadline or received a recent refusal and need help turning the matter around to preserve and protect immigration status in Canada.
Coaching and Legal Opinion
Starting a practice and handling complex files is not easy. Let me work with you to develop and build your immigration law practice. I can assist on anywhere from drafting submissions, providing independent legal advice, to being your co-counsel in Federal Court.
International Students and Foreign Workers
We specialize in assisting international students with complex study permit refusals, extensions, compliance, and Post-Graduate Work Permit related matters. We also advise and partner with Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) to provide effective advice and help build better systems.
We assist in finding pathways for international students from the time they are study permit holders to permanent residents, including navigating issues such as leave, the requirement to actively pursue studies, failure to engage in full-time studies, work authorization, employer immigration disputes, eligibility assessments for permanent residence, along the way.
Strategic Litigation / Community Lawyering
We are racialized community members that bring our lived experience and a critical/intersectional approach to our advocacy efforts in support of systemic change.
We are often brought in as policy advisors to teach and lead training sessions for students and organization staff. We can assist in writing reports, memorandums and conduct research as required.
Permanent Residence and Citizenship
We submit and review applications for clients seeking permanent residence and citizenship in Canada
On the PR side, we submit Express Entry-based Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Worker/Federal Skilled Trades Applications. We also assist in British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program (BC PNP) applications, Saskatchewan Immigrant Nomination Program (SINP) applications, Self-Employed, Caregiver, Entrepreneur, Agri-Foods, and other Economic Applications.
On the citizen side, we submit citizenship grant applications, and make applications for citizenship certificates, including Bill C-3.
Complex Inadmissibility
At some point along your immigration journey, you may find yourself having to respond to an allegation that you are inadmissible to Canada on grounds of security, human rights or international rights violations, serious criminality, criminality, or organized criminality.
If your case is referred to the Immigration Division, we can navigate the tribunal procedure for you, make sure you are well-prepared for your hearing, and advocate for you at the hearing.
Detention Reviews
If you find yourself detained in an immigration holding centre or in a provincial jail under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, you are entitled to regular reviews of your detention.
Detention can be based on reasons like posing a danger to the Canadian public or a security threat, being a flight risk, or being unable to confirm identity.
An immigration lawyer can advocate for your release before the Immigration Division, as well as challenging detention in court.
Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA)
We assist and advise employers on the complex LMIA process from advertising to online submission of the application. We can help with low wage, high wage, dual intent and Global Talent Stream LMIA applications.
If you are a business owner or manager seeking to hire a TFW, we can help you navigate the LMIA process to meet your employment and compliance needs.
Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada™
Offices & Contacts
Pro Bono Work
Reclaiming their names
https://nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/law/access-to-justice/2021/reclaiming-their-names
Heron Law is doing its part for reconciliation by helping Indigenous clients get their traditional names back.