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<channel>
	<title>Canadian Immigration PodcastRefugees | Canadian Immigration Podcast</title>
	<atom:link href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/category/refugees/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com</link>
	<description>Podcast covering the latest information on Canadian Immigration law, policy, and practice.</description>
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	<url>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cropped-Holthe-Logo-1-00-32x32.png</url>
	<title>Refugees | Canadian Immigration Podcast</title>
	<link>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com</link>
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		<item>
		<title>SPECIAL SERIES: Immigration Hearings and Appeals</title>
		<link>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals/</link>
		<comments>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Oct 2019 13:48:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Holthe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Criminal Inadmissibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration Advocacy Work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration Appeals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inadmissibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medical Inadmissibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refugees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canada visa appeal process]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canadian immigration appeals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canadian Immigration Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration appeal division canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration division]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Holthe Immigration Lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refugee appeal division]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refugee protection division]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rekha McNutt Immigration Lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What to do when your canadian visa application is rejected]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/?p=3783</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[Everything you ever wanted to know about the immigration appeal process with Rekha McNutt. <p>One of the most heartbreaking realities of practicing Canadian immigration law is the fact that not all applications submitted will get approved.There is nothing worse than having to inform a client that their application was rejected. Inevitably, the first question a client asks after being told about the refusal, is how can we appeal that [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals/">SPECIAL SERIES: Immigration Hearings and Appeals</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em id="gnt_postsubtitle" style="color:#666666;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:1.3em;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;">Everything you ever wanted to know about the immigration appeal process with Rekha McNutt</em></p> <p>One of the most heartbreaking realities of practicing Canadian immigration law is the fact that not all applications submitted will get approved.There is nothing worse than having to inform a client that their application was rejected. Inevitably, the first question a client asks after being told about the refusal, is <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/has-your-canadian-immigration-visa-been-refused/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">how can we appeal that refusal</a>.</p>
<p>Well, in this special series I will be releasing over the next couple of months, my good friend and colleague <a href="http://www.caronpartners.com/rekha-p-mcnutt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rekha McNutt</a> will join me to explore all of the ins and outs of the Canadian immigration appeal process and what happens in these hearings. Whether you are an immigration lawyer, consultant, or recently rejected applicant, this series is for you.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3784" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070.png" alt="" width="1200" height="627" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070.png 1200w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070-300x157.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070-768x401.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070-1024x535.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070-760x397.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070-518x271.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070-82x43.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-070-600x314.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none;" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/11790368/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" width="100%" height="90" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This special series on immigration appeals came about when <a href="http://www.caronpartners.com/rekha-p-mcnutt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rekha</a> and I realized that it was really difficult to try to limit the scope of this topic to just one episode. As we discussed the possible areas of immigration appeal, it became readily apparent that a special series on immigration appeals would be far more useful to the immigration practitioner and their clients than a high level discussion at the 10,000 foot level.</p>
<p>After all, this Podcast was designed to be very practical in nature and filled with numerous take aways that we and our clients could use in navigating our way through this complex area of immigration law, policy, and practice. I&#8217;ll leave the 10,000 foot level for my good friends, Peter, Steven, and Deanna over at the <a href="https://borderlines.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Borderlines Podcast</a>&#8230;.which is one I highly recommend you check out.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3785 alignright" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rekha-McNutt.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="282" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rekha-McNutt.jpg 750w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rekha-McNutt-214x300.jpg 214w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rekha-McNutt-731x1024.jpg 731w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rekha-McNutt-286x400.jpg 286w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rekha-McNutt-82x115.jpg 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rekha-McNutt-600x840.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" />So after discussing the possible ways in which we could structure this series, we settled on breaking things down by division first and then type of appeal within each division. Here are the general topics you can expect in the coming weeks and months:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Immigration Division</strong> &#8211; detention reviews and admissibility</li>
<li><strong>Immigration Appeal Division</strong> &#8211; spousal and parental sponsorship, removal order appeals</li>
<li><strong>Refugee Protection Division</strong> &#8211; refugee claims</li>
<li><strong>Refugee Appeal Division</strong> &#8211; refugee appeals</li>
<li><strong>Special Episode</strong> &#8211; s.117(9)(d) refusals</li>
</ol>
<p>I think you are going to absolutely love this series whether you are a new practicing lawyer, a seasoned practitioner, or an everyday applicant staring at a refusal letter and wondering where to turn now.</p>
<h3><strong>Sponsor:</strong></h3>
<p><a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3768" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast.png" alt="" width="2880" height="1200" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast.png 2880w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-300x125.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-768x320.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-1024x427.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-760x317.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-518x216.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-82x34.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-600x250.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px" /></a></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Canadian Immigration Institute</strong></a> &#8211; <span style="color: #993300;">Founded by Immigration Lawyer Mark Holthe</span><span style="color: #993300;"><strong> </strong></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>Affiliate Program:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Click on this link to become an affiliate of the Canadian Immigration Institute: <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/become-an-affiliate">https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/become-an-affiliate</a>
<ul>
<li>OR,  go to the <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canadian Immigration Institute</a> main page and scroll down to the very bottom and click on “<strong>Affiliate</strong>”.</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #993300;">Earn 30%</span> when someone purchases via your affiliate link</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">[Tweet &#8220;Everything you wanted to know about immigration appeals</span><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&#8220;]</em></p>
<h3>Additional Resources:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Rekha McNutt Bio: </strong><a href="http://www.caronpartners.com/rekha-p-mcnutt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.caronpartners.com/rekha-p-mcnutt</a></li>
<li><strong>Rekha&#8217;s Firm Website: </strong><a href="http://www.caronpartners.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.caronpartners.com/</a></li>
<li><strong>Canadian Immigration Institute</strong>: <a href="https://canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Listen to Mark Holthe&#8217;s Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none;" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/11790368/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" width="100%" height="90" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h3>Topics for our Next Podcast</h3>
<div style="color:#000033"><strong><em><span class="preface"></span>If you have a suggestion for topics we could cover in the Podcast, please drop me a line at <a href="mailto:mark@canadianimmigrationinstitute.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mark@canadianimmigrationinstitute.com</a>. If you know of anyone that would be interested in coming on the Podcast as a guest, please send them my way. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals%2F">share on facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals%2F&source=tweetbutton&text=%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals%2F&via=MarkHolthe">share on twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals%2F">share on LinkedIn</a> <span class="comment-prompt"></span></em></strong></div>
<h3>Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!</h3>
<p>If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes <strong><a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/podcasts/">here</a></strong>.</p>
<h3>Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p>If you have enjoyed this podcast, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">please subscribe</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2155" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download.png" alt="" width="178" height="58" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download.png 393w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download-300x98.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download-82x27.png 82w" sizes="(max-width: 178px) 100vw, 178px" /></a></p>
<p>If you enjoyed the show, please<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> rate it on iTunes</a> and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. <strong>Share the Love </strong></p>The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals/">SPECIAL SERIES: Immigration Hearings and Appeals</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></content:encoded>
			

		<wfw:commentRss>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-series-immigration-hearings-and-appeals/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
					</item>
		<item>
		<title>Special Edition &#8211; Canadian Immigration Post 2019 Election</title>
		<link>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election/</link>
		<comments>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:32:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Holthe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Citizenship and Immigration Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Express Entry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refugees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Skilled Work Experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election 2019]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration and federal 2019 election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration and the election 2019]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Holthe Canadian Immigration Lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ravi Jain Canadian immigration lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[what the future holds for immigration after 2019 federal election]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/?p=3775</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[How will the election results impact Canadian immigration with Ravi Jain. <p>Another federal election has come and gone and after the dust has settled, Canada will have a minority Liberal government. The question is&#8230;..how will this impact Canadian immigration law, policy and practice? In this episode I invited my good friend and fellow immigration lawyer, Ravi Jain to join me to weigh in on where we [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election/">Special Edition – Canadian Immigration Post 2019 Election</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em id="gnt_postsubtitle" style="color:#666666;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:1.3em;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;">How will the election results impact Canadian immigration with Ravi Jain</em></p> <p>Another <a href="https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/federal/2019/results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">federal election</a> has come and gone and after the dust has settled, Canada will have a minority Liberal government. The question is&#8230;..how will this impact Canadian immigration law, policy and practice?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3776" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069.png" alt="" width="1200" height="627" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069.png 1200w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069-300x157.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069-768x401.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069-1024x535.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069-760x397.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069-518x271.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069-82x43.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CIP-069-600x314.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none;" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/11741150/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" width="100%" height="90" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>In this episode I invited my good friend and fellow immigration lawyer, Ravi Jain to join me to weigh in on where we think immigration policy is headed following this fall Federal election. Now that we now we will have a minority Liberal government for the next 4 years (or less), what impact will this really have on the future of Canadian immigration for us immigration lawyers, consultants and our clients?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3779 alignright" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM.png" alt="" width="223" height="244" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM.png 1822w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM-274x300.png 274w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM-768x841.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM-936x1024.png 936w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM-760x832.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM-365x400.png 365w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM-82x90.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-22-at-10.20.33-AM-600x657.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 223px) 100vw, 223px" />Although Ravi and I are both serving as <a href="http://www.cba.org/Sections/Immigration-Law/Executive" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">table officers</a> with the <a href="http://www.cba.org/Sections/Immigration-Law" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>National Immigration Law Section</strong></a> of the Canadian Bar Association, <span style="color: #993300;"><em>all of the view expressed in this episode are ours alone and do not reflect those of the Canadian Bar Association and the National Immigration law section.</em></span> This episode is just two friends sharing our thoughts on what we feel may be in store for Canadian immigration in the coming years.</p>
<p>Here is what we covered:</p>
<ol>
<li>Parents and Grandparents</li>
<li>Refugees</li>
<li>MPs in and out</li>
<li>Economic Immigration Programs</li>
<li>Temporary Foreign Worker Program</li>
<li>Immigration Consultants</li>
</ol>
<h3><strong>Sponsor:</strong></h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3768" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast.png" alt="" width="2880" height="1200" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast.png 2880w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-300x125.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-768x320.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-1024x427.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-760x317.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-518x216.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-82x34.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/canadian-immigration-podcast-600x250.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px" /></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Canadian Immigration Institute</strong> &#8211; <span style="color: #993300;">Founded by Immigration Lawyer Mark Holthe</span><span style="color: #993300;"><strong> </strong></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>Affiliate Program:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Click on this link to become an affiliate of the Canadian Immigration Institute: <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/become-an-affiliate">https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/become-an-affiliate</a>
<ul>
<li>OR,  go to the <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationinstitute.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canadian Immigration Institute</a> main page and scroll down to the very bottom and click on “<strong>Affiliate</strong>”.</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #993300;">Earn 30%</span> when someone purchases your affiliate link</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">[Tweet &#8220;Canadian Immigration &#8211; Post Election 2019</span><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&#8220;]</em></p>
<h3>Additional Resources:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Ravi Jain Bio: </strong><a href="https://www.gands.com/team/bio/ravi-jain" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.gands.com/team/bio/ravi-jain</a></li>
<li><strong>Ravi&#8217;s Firm Website: </strong><a href="https://www.gands.com/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.gands.com/home</a></li>
<li><strong>Canadian Immigration Institute</strong>: <a href="https://canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://canadianimmigrationinstitute.com/</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Listen to Mark Holthe&#8217;s Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none;" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/11741150/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" width="100%" height="90" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h3>Topics for our Next Podcast</h3>
<div style="color:#000033"><strong><em><span class="preface"></span>If you have a suggestion for topics we could cover in the Podcast, please drop me a line. If you know of anyone that would be interested in coming on the Podcast as a guest, please send them my way. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election%2F">share on facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election%2F&source=tweetbutton&text=%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election%2F&via=MarkHolthe">share on twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fspecial-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election%2F">share on LinkedIn</a> <span class="comment-prompt"></span></em></strong></div>
<h3>Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!</h3>
<p>If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes <strong><a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/podcasts/">here</a></strong>.</p>
<h3>Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p>If you have enjoyed this podcast, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">please subscribe</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2155" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download.png" alt="" width="178" height="58" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download.png 393w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download-300x98.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download-82x27.png 82w" sizes="(max-width: 178px) 100vw, 178px" /></a></p>
<p>If you enjoyed the show, please<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> rate it on iTunes</a> and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. <strong>Share the Love </strong></p>The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/special-edition-canadian-immigration-post-2019-election/">Special Edition – Canadian Immigration Post 2019 Election</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></content:encoded>
			

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		<item>
		<title>Refugee Law &#8211; Essential insight from a refugee lawyer!</title>
		<link>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/refugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer/</link>
		<comments>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/refugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jan 2019 21:44:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Holthe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Refugees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asylum seekers crossing into Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada refugee protection division]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canada us irregular border crosser refugees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hart Kaminker Canadian immigration lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hart Kaminker Canadian refugee lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to cross border to make refugee claim in canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to practice as a refugee lawyer in canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ircc refugee claim cross border]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Holthe Immigration Lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refugee claimant crossing into canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refugee law canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Safe Third Country Agreement Canada US]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/?p=3726</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[Learning what the practice of refugee law is really like with Hart Kamiker. <p>With the increasing numbers of refugee claimants crossing into Canada via the US border, the topic of refugees has become extremely polarizing in our country. As we approach another election year, political divisiveness and rhetoric from all parties will continue to dominate the media. What we are left with is a lot of misinformation being [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/refugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer/">Refugee Law – Essential insight from a refugee lawyer!</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em id="gnt_postsubtitle" style="color:#666666;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:1.3em;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;">Learning what the practice of refugee law is really like with Hart Kamiker</em></p> <p>With the increasing numbers of refugee claimants crossing into Canada via the US border, the topic of refugees has become extremely polarizing in our country. As we approach another election year, political divisiveness and rhetoric from all parties will continue to dominate the media. What we are left with is a lot of misinformation being spread that only exacerbates the confusion the average Canadian has regarding the refugee issue.</p>
<p>In this episode Canadian immigration lawyer <a href="https://www.kaminkerlaw.com/hart-kaminker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hart Kaminker</a> joined me to help shed some light on this topic and provide some great insight from a refugee lawyer perspective. <span style="color: #993300;"><strong>Tune in to this episode and get rid of your <em>pre-conceived ideas about refugees once and for all</em>.</strong></span></p>
<p><span id="more-3726"></span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3729" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38.png" alt="" width="1200" height="627" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38.png 1200w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38-300x157.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38-768x401.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38-1024x535.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38-760x397.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38-518x271.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38-82x43.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Podcast-Template-38-600x314.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none;" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/8407850/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" width="100%" height="90" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3727 alignright" src="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/static1.squarespace.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="250" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/static1.squarespace.jpg 450w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/static1.squarespace-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/static1.squarespace-267x400.jpg 267w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/static1.squarespace-82x123.jpg 82w" sizes="(max-width: 167px) 100vw, 167px" /></p>
<p>Hart Kaminker has extensive experience in all facets of Immigration and Citizenship law with focused knowledge in litigation, the processing of permanent and temporary applications, and reviewing decisions of Immigration tribunals and international visa officers.</p>
<p>Hart has represented clients before the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal and all levels of the Immigration and Refugee Board including the Refugee Protection Division, the Refugee Appeal Division and the Immigration Appeal Division.</p>
<p>Hart is often called upon to speak at events for the Canadian Bar Association and other community organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. He has also served on the Board of Governors at Beth Tikvah Synagogue and the UJA Israel Engagement Committee.</p>
<p>In this episode Hart shared insight on the following topics related to Canadian refugee law:</p>
<ol>
<li>Current influx of refugees from the United States</li>
<li>Safe Third Country Agreement</li>
<li>Scheduling problems at the RPD</li>
<li>Life working as a refugee lawyer</li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">[Tweet &#8220;Demystifying the refugee issue once and for all</span><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&#8220;]</em></p>
<h3>Additional Resources:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>How to Contact Hart Kaminker</strong>: <a href="maito:hkaminker@kaminkerlaw.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hkaminker@kaminkerlaw.com</a></li>
<li><strong>Firm Website (Kaminker and Associates): </strong><a href="https://www.kaminkerlaw.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.kaminkerlaw.com/</a></li>
<li><strong>IRB Statistics on irregular border crossers:</strong> <a href="https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/statistics/Pages/Irregular-border-crosser-statistics.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/statistics/Pages/Irregular-border-crosser-statistics.aspx</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Listen to Mark Holthe&#8217;s Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none;" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/8407850/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" width="100%" height="90" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h3>Topics for our Next Podcast</h3>
<div style="color:#000033"><strong><em><span class="preface"></span>If you have a suggestion for topics we could cover in the Podcast, please drop me a line. If you know of anyone that would be interested in coming on the Podcast as a guest, please send them my way. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Frefugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer%2F">share on facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Frefugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer%2F&source=tweetbutton&text=%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Frefugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer%2F&via=MarkHolthe">share on twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Frefugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer%2F">share on LinkedIn</a> <span class="comment-prompt"></span></em></strong></div>
<h3>Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!</h3>
<p>If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes <strong><a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/podcasts/">here</a></strong>.</p>
<h3>Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p>If you have enjoyed this podcast, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">please subscribe</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2155" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download.png" alt="" width="178" height="58" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download.png 393w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download-300x98.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/download-82x27.png 82w" sizes="(max-width: 178px) 100vw, 178px" /></a></p>
<p>If you enjoyed the show, please<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> rate it on iTunes</a> and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. <strong>Share the Love </strong></p>The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/refugee-law-essential-insight-from-a-refugee-lawyer/">Refugee Law – Essential insight from a refugee lawyer!</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></content:encoded>
			

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					</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Private Sponsorship of Refugees to Canada &#8211; PART 2</title>
		<link>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2/</link>
		<comments>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2017 18:25:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Holthe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Refugees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blended Visa Referral Program CIC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blended Visa Referral Program IRCC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada Refugee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canadian Immigration Lawyer Mark Holthe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canadian Immigration Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Holthe Immigration Lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[private sponsorship of refugees in canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ronalee Carey immigration lawyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ronalee Carey Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syrian refugees]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/?p=2183</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[Helpful insight on the Blended Visa Office Referral (BVOR) process with Ronalee Carey. <p>Although the topic of government sponsored refugees has dropped slightly off the political landscape, the notion of privately sponsored refugees is still very much a topic of interest amongst Canadians. In Season 1 Episode 29 Canadian immigration lawyer Ronalee Carey joined me to talk about her experience working with the G30+ Ottawa Constituency Group who [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2/">The Private Sponsorship of Refugees to Canada – PART 2</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em id="gnt_postsubtitle" style="color:#666666;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:1.3em;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;">Helpful insight on the Blended Visa Office Referral (BVOR) process with Ronalee Carey</em></p> <p><em><strong>Although the topic of <span style="color: #993300;"><a style="color: #993300;" href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/outside/gar/index.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">government sponsored refugees</a></span> has dropped slightly off the <span style="color: #000000;">political landscape</span>, the notion of <span style="color: #993300;"><a style="color: #993300;" href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/ref-sponsor/index.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">privately sponsored refugees</a></span> is still very much a topic of interest amongst Canadians.</strong> In <a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Season 1 Episode 29</a> Canadian immigration lawyer <a href="http://ronaleecareylaw.ca/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ronalee Carey</a> joined me to talk about her experience working with the G30+ Ottawa Constituency Group who were involved in the private sponsorship of refugees to Canada. </em></p>
<p><em>Because of the success of that Episode, I just had to have her back to provide us with an update regarding a particular <strong>Syrian family that has now landed in Canada</strong> through the work of Ronalee and the other members of the G30+ Group. However, the real value Ronalee provides in this Episode is the amazing insight she shares regarding the government&#8217;s <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/sponsor/vor.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Blended Visa Office Referral program</a>&#8230;.a program Ronalee strongly encourages all of us to get involved with.</em></p>
<p><span id="more-2183"></span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2185" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23.png" alt="" width="1200" height="627" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23.png 1200w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23-300x157.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23-768x401.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23-1024x535.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23-760x397.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23-518x271.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23-82x43.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Podcast-Template-23-600x314.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5983729/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" height="90" width="100%" scrolling="no"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1547 alignleft" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="211" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version.jpg 734w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-215x300.jpg 215w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-287x400.jpg 287w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-82x114.jpg 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-600x837.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 151px) 100vw, 151px" />If you would like to learn a little more about Ronalee Carey and her journey leading up to the practice of immigration law, please go back and listen to the interview I did with her in <a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Season 1 Episode 29: The Private Sponsorship of Refugees &#8211; Everything you Wanted to Know with Ronalee Carey</a>.</p>
<p>You can read a more detailed explanation of the process in this excellent paper prepared by Ronalee&#8217;s law office entitled: <a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Private-sponsorship-of-Refugees-reference-document.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">An Overview of the Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program</a>.</p>
<p>In this Episode we covered the following specific topics:</p>
<ol>
<li>What are BVOR sponsorships (Blended Visa Office Referred), and how they differ from other private sponsorship arrangements?</li>
<li>What are the financial obligations for sponsors?</li>
<li>What is the application process like, and how long does it take?</li>
<li>How do you work with individuals with whom you do not share a language?</li>
<li>Once the refugees arrive in Canada, what are the sponsor’s obligations and how is all of this managed with a large group of volunteers?</li>
<li>The extent to which other countries are now starting to follow Canada’s lead, and start their own private sponsorship of refugees program?</li>
</ol>
<p>[Tweet &#8220;What is the BVOR Refugee Program? How can I get involved?<em>&#8220;]</em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1552" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1.png" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-300x225.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-768x576.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-760x570.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-518x389.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-82x62.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-131x98.png 131w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-600x450.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></p>
<h3>Additional Resources:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>The best way to reach Ronalee</strong>:
<ul>
<li><strong>E-mail: </strong>rcarey@ronaleecareylaw.ca</li>
<li><strong>Phone Number</strong>:(613) 564-8301</li>
<li><strong>Ronalee&#8217;s law firm: </strong>Ronalee Carey Law: <a href="http://ronaleecareylaw.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://ronaleecareylaw.ca/</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Private-sponsorship-of-Refugees-reference-document.pdf">An Overview of the Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program</a> &#8211; by <em>Ronalee Carey Law Office</em></strong></li>
<li><strong>History of Refuge in Canada (Government of Canada Document)</strong>: <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/games/teachers-corner/refugee/refuge.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/games/teachers-corner/refugee/refuge.asp</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Listen to Mark Holthe&#8217;s Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5983729/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" height="90" width="100%" scrolling="no"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h3>Topics for our Next Podcast</h3>
<div style="color:#000033"><strong><em><span class="preface"></span>If you have a suggestion for topics we could cover in the Podcast, please drop me a line. If you know of anyone that would be interested in coming on the Podcast as a guest, please send them my way. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2%2F">share on facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2%2F&source=tweetbutton&text=%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2%2F&via=MarkHolthe">share on twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2%2F">share on LinkedIn</a> <span class="comment-prompt"></span></em></strong></div>
<h3>Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!</h3>
<p>If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes <strong><a href="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/podcasts/">here</a></strong>.</p>
<h3>Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
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<p>If you enjoyed the show, please<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-immigration-podcast/id898520702?mt=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> rate it on iTunes</a> and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. <strong>Share the Love </strong></p>The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada-part-2/">The Private Sponsorship of Refugees to Canada – PART 2</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></content:encoded>
			

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					</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Private Sponsorship of Refugees to Canada</title>
		<link>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada/</link>
		<comments>https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2016 00:05:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Browyn March</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Citizenship and Immigration Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refugees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refugees and Citizenship Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canadian Immigration Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government of Canada website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Group of 5 Sponsorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration lawyer Ottawa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Holthe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Private Sponsorship of Refugees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[private sponsorship of refugees in canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ronalee Carey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ronalee Carey Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Ottawa Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (RSSP)]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/?p=1477</guid>

				<description><![CDATA[Everything you wanted to know with Ronalee Carey. <p>After viewing the shocking photos of the little Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach in the fall of 2015, the global plight of refugees was brought to the forefront of public consciousness.  Since that time, many people have expressed a sincere interest in knowing exactly how to Privately Sponsor a Refugee to come to Canada. [&#8230;]</p>
The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada/">The Private Sponsorship of Refugees to Canada</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></description>
					<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em id="gnt_postsubtitle" style="color:#666666;font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:1.3em;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;">Everything you wanted to know with Ronalee Carey</em></p> <p>After viewing the shocking photos of the little Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach in the fall of 2015, the global plight of refugees was brought to the forefront of public consciousness.  Since that time, many people have expressed a sincere interest in knowing exactly how to Privately Sponsor a Refugee to come to Canada. In this episode, I had the opportunity to catch up with <strong><a href="http://www.ronaleecareylaw.ca" target="_blank">Ronalee Carey</a>,</strong> an Immigration Lawyer practicing in Ottawa, who was able to share some unique insight into this process. She definitely inspired me to become more involved.</p>
<p><span id="more-1477"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1546" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29.png" alt="S1E29" width="1200" height="627" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29.png 1200w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29-300x157.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29-768x401.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29-1024x535.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29-760x397.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29-518x271.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29-82x43.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/S1E29-600x314.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 1.5;"><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4636984/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" height="90" width="100%" scrolling="no"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Ronalee&#8217;s practice focuses on finding immigration solutions for individuals and families through family sponsorships,  the Express Entry program and provincial nomination programs.  She assists with visa applications to visit, study or work in Canada, and helps those with criminal inadmissibility issues.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In addition to her private practice, <em><a href="http://www.ronaleecareylaw.ca" target="_blank">Ronalee</a></em> is also a <strong>Refugee lawyer</strong>. She is part of a group in Ottawa that provides pro bono services regarding the Private Sponsorship  of Refugees. When I learned of her involvement with Refugee work, I thought it would be a great topic for our Canadian Immigration Podcast.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1547 alignleft" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version.jpg" alt="2016 profile photo - front view - web version" width="133" height="185" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version.jpg 734w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-215x300.jpg 215w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-287x400.jpg 287w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-82x114.jpg 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-profile-photo-front-view-web-version-600x837.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 133px) 100vw, 133px" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you are someone who is interested in knowing how the process works, this episode will point you in the right direction.</p>
<p>After listening to Ronalee explain the refugee sponsorship process in great detail, I came to the realization that this is something that any of us could consider doing in our own communities. Her passion for this area and sincere desire to help those less fortunate than us in Canada, really struck a cord with me. It was an absolute pleasure having her on the Podcast.</p>
<p>During my interview with <em><a href="http://www.ronaleecareylaw.ca" target="_blank">Ronalee</a></em>, we discussed the following areas:</p>
<ul>
<li>How Ronalee got into the immigration field.</li>
<li>Her involvement in Private Refugee Sponsorship Work.</li>
<li>What is the University of Ottawa&#8217;s Refugee Sponsorship Support Program?</li>
<li>How did she get matched to the G30+ Ottawa constituent group?</li>
<li>How does the group go about finding refugees to sponsor and their experiences in settling the refugees who have arrived in Canada.</li>
<li>Discussion on the Government of Canada partnering with Canadians to jointly assist refugees through the Blended Visa-Office Referred (BVOR) program.</li>
<li>How has the government has handled the sponsorship of refugees so far and what the future holds for the private sponsorship of refugees in Canada.</li>
<li>How to go about sponsoring a refugee from Syria or elsewhere.</li>
</ul>
<p>[Tweet &#8220;Private Sponsorship of Refugees &#8211; How the process works<em>&#8220;]</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1552" src="http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1.png" alt="Untitled design (1)" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1.png 1024w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-300x225.png 300w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-768x576.png 768w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-760x570.png 760w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-518x389.png 518w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-82x62.png 82w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-131x98.png 131w, https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Untitled-design-1-600x450.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></p>
<h3>Time Stamped Quick Reference Guide</h3>
<p>In order to help you jump to the areas of most interest to you, I have included below some time stamps for some of the significant topics covered in this episode.</p>
<p>02:15 – Who is Ronalee Carey?</p>
<p>04:00 – How she got into the immigration field?</p>
<p>06:55 – How did she get involved in private refugee sponsorship work?</p>
<p>07:34 – How the process works when Privately Sponsoring Refugees to Canada.</p>
<p>08:03 – Who screens the Refugee before they come to Canada?</p>
<p>09:25 – What is the uOttawa Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (RSSP)?</p>
<p>18:29 – How did Ronalee get matched to the G30+ Ottawa constituent group?</p>
<p>18:59 – How did the group link up with the Anglican Diocese?</p>
<p>21:45 – How did the group go about finding refugees to sponsor?</p>
<p>23:40 – Who has the group sponsored so far?</p>
<p>28:45 – What are the qualifications to become a Sponsor and the obligations towards the Blended Visa-Office Referred (BVOR) candidates that are selected?</p>
<p>32:00 – How has the private sponsorship process worked out for her group?</p>
<p>34:00 – How is the government handling the sponsorship of refugees, now that the initial election promise to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees has been fulfilled?</p>
<p>35:48 – Is there still a strong interest from the Canadian public to sponsor refugees? How has the government responded to the significant interest generated in the private refugee sponsorship programs?</p>
<p>41:07 – If someone was interested in sponsoring a refugee, from Syria or elsewhere, how would they go about it?</p>
<p>45:38 – How to contact Ronalee Carey.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Additional Resources:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Ronalee Carey Law</strong>:<a href="http://www.ronaleecareylaw.ca/" target="_blank"> http://www.ronaleecareylaw.ca/</a></li>
<li><strong>Ronalee&#8217;s e-mail</strong>: <a href="mailto:rcarey@ronaleecareylaw.ca" target="_blank">rcarey@ronaleecareylaw.ca</a></li>
<li><strong>Ronalee&#8217;s Linkedin page: </strong><a href="https://ph.linkedin.com/in/ronalee-carey-0119593a" target="_blank">https://ph.linkedin.com/in/ronalee-carey-0119593a</a></li>
<li><strong>uOttawa Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (RSSP):</strong> <a href="http://refugeessp.ca/home/" target="_blank">http://refugeessp.ca/home/</a></li>
<li><strong>Ottawa 613: </strong><a href="http://www.refugee613.ca/" target="_blank">http://www.refugee613.ca/</a></li>
<li><strong>Government of Canada website – how to sponsor a refugee:<a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/sponsor/index.asp" target="_blank"> </a></strong>http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/sponsor/index.asp</li>
</ul>
<h3>Listen to Mark Holthe&#8217;s Canadian Immigration Podcast</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4636984/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ce4516/" height="90" width="100%" scrolling="no"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h3>Topics for our Next Podcast</h3>
<div style="color:#000033"><strong><em><span class="preface"></span>If you have a suggestion for topics we could cover in the Podcast, please drop me a line. If you know of anyone that would be interested in coming on the Podcast as a guest, please send them my way. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada%2F">share on facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada%2F&source=tweetbutton&text=%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada%2F&via=MarkHolthe">share on twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com%2Fthe-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada%2F">share on LinkedIn</a> <span class="comment-prompt"></span></em></strong></div>
<h3>Read the Transcript</h3>
<p>You can read additional notes for this episode, [spoiler]</p>
<p><strong>S1 E29 – Ronalee Carey – Private Sponsorship of Refugees | Show Notes</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bio</strong> – Ronalee Carey is an immigration and refugee lawyer who practices in the beautiful capital of Canada &#8211; Ottawa, Ontario. Her practice focuses on finding immigration solutions for individuals and families through family sponsorships, the Express Entry program and provincial nomination programs. She assists with visa applications to visit, study or work in Canada, and helps those with criminal inadmissibility issues.</p>
<p>Part of Ronalee’s practice includes refugee work. She assists individuals who have arrived in Canada who wish to claim refugee status. She also provides pro bono assistance to a group in Ottawa who are privately sponsoring refugees from abroad.</p>
<p><strong>Question: How did you find yourself in the immigration field?</strong> Since I was a young child, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, but immigration law was never something I’d thought about. I grew up in a small town in northern Ontario were we had a total of 7 racialized individuals in the entire town, one of whom was my fifth grade teacher. When I went to law school, I focused on criminal and family law. I articled at a general practice firm, and after my call to the bar, practiced mostly family law.</p>
<p>My life then took a huge turn. My husband and I had been foster parents for the Ottawa Children’s Aid Society for several years, and we had the opportunity to adopt a beautiful baby girl through the society. She was mixed race, with an East Indian birth mother and a birth father of African descent. We later adopted two additional children, both of Haitian descent. I took an extended leave from my career during this time.</p>
<p>When I was ready to return to the practice of law, I wanted to start back part-time. I ran into a former classmate at a Law Society event, who had an opening for a legal researcher/law clerk with part-time hours. Her field happened to be immigration law. When I started working in immigration law, I was immediately hooked. I was able to meet people from all over the world, and every matter provided a new and interesting challenge to solve. I loved how political immigration law was; I could read an article in my morning newspaper that would affect how I would handle a client file that day.</p>
<p>In 2012 the lawyer I had been working for moved from Ottawa in order to be closer to her aging parents. She left me a few files, and I ‘hung up a shingle’. Recently, I had to hire a junior lawyer to assist me with files.</p>
<p><strong>Question: How did you get involved in private refugee sponsorship work?</strong> Like many people in Canada, I was devastated at seeing the photo of Alan Kurdi’s body washed up on the shores of a beach in Turkey. In September, 2015, I received an email from the University of Ottawa’s Refugee Hub, which called for lawyers willing to volunteer with a new initiative designed to assist individuals and groups who wanted to sponsor Syrian refugees to come to Canada. I immediately signed on.</p>
<p><strong>Question: What is the uOttawa Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (RSSP)?</strong> <a href="http://refugeessp.ca/home/" target="_blank">http://refugeessp.ca/home/</a></p>
<p>From that initial email, grass roots organization continued, and volunteers in Ottawa put together the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program. The goal was to match volunteer lawyers with groups and individuals who wanted to sponsor Syrian refugees. Not all the lawyers were immigration and refugee lawyers – in fact the majority were not. As such, training had to be provided. Even for me, the procedures were new – though I’d assisted with inland claims for refugee protection, the overseas process was new to me as it was to many private immigration lawyers.</p>
<p>We met in a room at City Hall for the training. A generous lawyer from our local bar bought pizza for the hundred or so attendees.</p>
<p>Our next step was to reach out to the community, to let them know our services were available. The City of Ottawa was planning a community information night, to let interested sponsors know about the process and to allow local immigrant service agencies provide information on their services. Another grassroots organization called Refugee 613 had emerged, to connect people in Ottawa who wanted to donate money, volunteer or sponsors refugees with others. Refugee 613 was a big presence at the event.</p>
<p>The event was overwhelmingly successful. Hundreds and hundreds of people from Ottawa showed up to the event. The information session itself was supposed to be held in the municipal council chambers, but it filled to overcapacity and the speakers had to be broadcast into the atrium for those who couldn’t get into the room. Even the atrium was overflowing.</p>
<p>The <strong>uOttawa RRSP</strong> had set up a free legal clinic, so that potential sponsors who speak to a lawyer at the event about the procedures for sponsoring. We gave legal advice to over 400 people that night.</p>
<p><strong>Question: How did you get matched to the G30+ Ottawa constituent group?</strong></p>
<p>The goal of that first evening, at Ottawa City Hall, was to provide initial legal advice to as many people as possible who wanted to sponsor Syrian refugees. Later, the goal was to match those individuals or groups who wanted to proceed with a lawyer willing to help them through the process.</p>
<p>At the legal clinic, the first group of people I gave advice to was another lawyer who worked for the Federal government. She and two friends had both committed to finding 10 people each, all willing to donate $1,000. The money raised by these 30 people would allow them to sponsor a family from Syria.</p>
<p>I requested to be ‘matched’ to this group, so that I could be the pro bono lawyer for the group and help them with the sponsorship process. In addition, my husband and I requested to become members of the group of 30, and made a personal financial contribution. As such, I am not only the pro bono lawyer for the group, but also a group member.</p>
<p><strong>Question: How did this group of 3 turn into the G30+ constituent group?</strong></p>
<p>The three initial group members intended to do a Group of 5 (G5) sponsorship. This is a special program where 5 individuals agree to provide financial and settlement support to an individual or family. The plan was to find two other people who could join them in the Group of 5, as official sponsors, and the other individuals would provide a supporting role and assist in the financial aspect.</p>
<p>The core three members were overwhelmingly successful in their efforts to find others willing to join them in sponsoring a Syrian family. They quickly found more than 30 people willing to help, which is why the name had to become the G30+. Their fundraising efforts were also much more successful than they’d originally hoped for. Our initial meeting of the group saw funds pledged in excess of $70,000. This meant the group could sponsor more than one family.</p>
<p><strong>Question: How did the group link up with the Anglican Diocese?</strong></p>
<p>Because the group had become so large, and had raised so much money, a Group of 5 sponsorship wasn’t really appropriate anymore. We needed a larger focus. In Canada, the government has partnered with groups called Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH), who are pre-approved to sponsor refugees. Many of these SAHs are religious groups. In Ottawa, the Anglican Diocese has a great deal of experience with refugee sponsorships. They agreed to take on the G30+ Ottawa group as a constituent group under their organization. This meant that funds raised could be channelled through the Diocese’s charitable structure, which allowed members to receive tax receipts for their contributions. We also were able to tap into the Diocese’s wealth of experience in making applications to sponsor refugees.</p>
<p><strong>Question: How did the group go about finding refugees to sponsor?</strong></p>
<p>The group had a very unusual problem. We had lots of money, lots of volunteers including Arabic speakers, and no one to sponsor. No one from our group was Syrian, so there were no family members we could help. At the time, neither the Canadian government, Refugee 613, nor the uOttawa RSSP was able to match potential sponsors with either family members in Canada or directly with refugees overseas.</p>
<p>So, we had to look abroad ourselves. One of our group members had connections to a group of women who were Nobel laureates. This group directed her to a journalist working in a Syrian refugee camp in the Zaatari, Jordan. She further spoke to a translator she worked with, to ask him if he could identify anyone who the group could sponsor to come to Canada. The translators’ brother was interested. Prior to the war he’d studied business in university, and he was desperate to get to Canada. He would act as an ‘anchor relative’, to later assist his parents, and his siblings and their families to come to Canada. The translator also identified a family who needed our help. Both parents had worked in leadership roles in the camp, the father as a team leader and the mother as part of a health committee. They had six children ranging in age from six months to 17. We agreed to take on both the single individual and this family of 8.</p>
<p>Working through the translator, we have completed the sponsorship applications for these 9 individuals. We have provided the applications to the Anglican Diocese, who is preparing them to submit to the government. However, they have to wait until the government opens up spaces in the queue.</p>
<p><strong>Question: Who has the group sponsored so far?</strong></p>
<p>While efforts were underway to sponsor these 9 individuals, another opportunity presented itself.</p>
<p>The government of Canada, in addition to directly sponsoring individuals through the Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) program, partners with Canadians to jointly assist refugees through the Blended Visa-Office Referred (BVOR). In this program, refugees who have been identified by the UNHCR are referred by Canadian visa offices oversees. The government puts these individuals and families onto a list, and SAHs are able to offer to sponsor the individuals. The government provides for 50% of the financial cost of the sponsorship, and the SAH (or their constituent group) provides the remainder of the funds. From a pro bono lawyer’s perspective, this type of sponsorship is great because the refugees have already been pre-approved – there is no need for us to complete the forms needed for the refugees, and we do not have to have any of their documents translated. All we do is submit an undertaking to provide for the family and a settlement plan stating how we will provide for the family’s needs when they arrive in Canada.</p>
<p>For sponsorship groups, getting a BVOR family is like winning the lottery. The list of eligible families is sent out by the government. Only a bit of information is provided – names, ages, occupations, where they’d like to live in Canada. Sponsors have only a few minutes to choose a family and respond – there is so much interest that any hesitation means all the refugees will be claimed by sponsoring groups.</p>
<p>The G30+ Ottawa group was fortunate to be matched with a family of 4 from Syria, parents and two young children. This family arrived in Canada this past February.</p>
<p>In addition, we were contacted by the Anglican Diocese to sponsor a woman whose son was already in Ottawa as a refugee. Though the woman is Iranian, not Syrian, the group agreed to sponsor her. We are hoping she will arrive shortly.</p>
<p><strong>Question: What have their experiences been to date, in settling the individuals who have arrived in Canada?</strong></p>
<p>We are blessed with many capable volunteers. An affordable apartment was found for them; it was furnished mostly by donations. After they arrived, they were set up in school and language classes, and things like health cards were applied for. For the summer, day camps were found for the children. We’ve had a potluck dinner to welcome them. It has been a wind whirl of activity.</p>
<p>Because the family did not speak English when they arrived, a lot of the work fell onto the Arabic speaking members.</p>
<p><strong>Question: How is the government handling the sponsorship of refugees, now that the initial election promise to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees has been fulfilled?</strong></p>
<p>The government reached its target of 25,000 Syrian refugees in February, 2016. This 25,000 was made up of both government and privately sponsored refugees, including our family of 4. However, they also promised to bring in a total 25,000 government assisted refugees by the end of 2016. They appear on track to fulfil this commitment.</p>
<p>You may remember at our national immigration law conference in April, our immigration minister appeared for a luncheon address. He said that he was probably the only immigration minister in the world being criticized for his failure not to provide enough refugees for those interested in sponsoring. However, he stated that the government’s target of a maximum 300,000 immigrants for 2016 was firm, and that he would not be increasing that number in order to accommodate more refugees.</p>
<p><strong>Question: Is there still a strong interest from the Canadian public to sponsor refugees? How is the government responded to the interest in the private refugee sponsorship program?</strong></p>
<p>I spoke to Don Smith, from the Archdiocese of Ottawa about the problem of there being more interest from the Canadian public to sponsor than our government is willing to provide capacity for. He told me he was torn over the issue. He said on the one hand, we don’t want to allow our government to back away from the UNHRC and the international community by failing to take in its share of refugees. On the other hand, there are so many people who have family they want to sponsor, and other individuals who want to help settle refugees in Canada, that restructuring the way refugees spaces are allocated might be the only short-term solution. That means less government assisted refugees, and more BVOR spaces along with priority processing to G5 and other privately sponsored refugee programs.</p>
<p>And the evidence seems to be mounting that privately sponsored refugees do better than government assisted refugees. Our own refugee family is a case in point. They arrived in Canada to a 30+ new friends, willing and able to help them with anything they could possibly need. Shortly after our family arrived, the parents of the father of our family (the children’s grandparents) arrived as government sponsored refugees. Though our group has provided some settlement assistance to them as well, they don’t understand why they don’t have their own group to help them.</p>
<p><strong>Question: If someone was interested in sponsoring a refugee, from Syria or elsewhere, how would they go about it?</strong></p>
<p>A minimum group of 5 individuals is necessary in order to be able to sponsor. Partnering with a SAH is not necessary, but provides numerous benefits. There are also community sponsorship programs, and a program for people willing to sponsor refugees with high needs, such as those with medical conditions or who have experienced severe trauma.</p>
<p>But individuals and groups need to temper their expectations. I attended a session where Louisa Taylor of Refugee 613 spoke. She made the very poignant comment that ‘refugees are not pets’. These are individuals with their own personalities and temperaments, who may or may not want to accept the friendship and help you are offering when they arrive in Canada. We think that when refugees arrive in Canada, they will jump at every opportunity to learn English, find a job, and integrate into the community. But what if they are so exhausted by their ordeal they have been through that they only want to watch Arabic television? And what if the group wants to sponsor, has the funds, but there are no spaces left in the government programs? Some people will need to find another way to channel their goodwill.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">[/spoiler]</span></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>The post <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-to-canada/">The Private Sponsorship of Refugees to Canada</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com">Canadian Immigration Podcast</a>.]]></content:encoded>
			

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