Posted by Are you interested in migrating to Canada, Toronto to be precise, and do you need a lawyer to help you consider your options and advise you on the best ways to go about your migration plans?
Do you own a start-up and are interested in understanding the business migration laws available in Canada? Perhaps you’re a student who needs help with applying for and obtaining a study permit, work permit or even transition to a Permanent Resident status.
If any of the above scenarios or something similar resonates, this article was written just for you.
We have taken the time to provide you with the list of the ten best immigration lawyers in Toronto in 2023. Before we get into this, let’s look at a cursory scope of who an immigration lawyer is.
Who is An Immigration Lawyer
Immigration is an area of law where legislations are dynamic and ever-changing. The laws in this area can appear complex to the layman, so clients often engage the services of lawyers to assist them with this vast area of law.
In businesses, immigration lawyers serve as wise guide that helps clients understand the legal requirements and steps to follow before key employers can be brought into work in Canada. They advise these business clients on how immigration laws affect their business dealings.
Immigration lawyers generally advise you on an applicant’s eligibility, work with individuals to sponsor a loved one’s entry into the country, advise clients on the process of obtaining permanent residence, work or study permits, etc.
An experienced immigration lawyer would have, over the years, built relationships with applicable government departments in the Immigration or cross-border process, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, Service Canada, Provincial Departments, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
These are some criteria we consider while curating this list of the ten best immigration lawyers in Toronto.
Read Also:
The Average Cost of Hiring an Immigration Lawyer in Toronto
The average cost is between 200 and 700 CAD to consult with an immigration lawyer in Toronto, after which the type of services that would be rendered determines your fees going forward.
Look at the ten best immigration lawyers in Toronto, with their contact details and immigration specialty areas noted.
#1. Ravi Jain
Ravi Jain, the Founder of Jain Immigration Law, is one of Canada’s most recognized immigration lawyers. He is highly recognized for his exemplary leadership in the bar, peer recognition of excellence, and client satisfaction.
In recognition of his contributions to Canada, Her Majesty the Queen presented him with the Diamond Jubilee Medal. In a very recent development, he was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in Canada; for receiving the highest voter feedback from colleagues across different parts of Canada.
The prestigious Chambers and Partners is a firm that ranks the world’s best lawyers, and they have repeatedly recognized the work done by Evan. Mr. Jain is certified by the Ontario Law Society as a specialist in Immigration Law.
He was at the forefront of the movement that founded the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association. He was also instrumental in the Quebec Investor Program and the Start-up Visa Program and has met a lot of clients on behalf of Canada’s business immigration programs.
He has many corporate clients within the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Mr. Jain has set ground-breaking precedents in the popular Elahi decision, where he helped a young Muslim member of the South Asian community with an appeal that reunited her with her husband.
Worthy of mention is his role in the particular case where a woman whose ex-husband tried to murder her was granted PR status with her daughter while the ex-husband, who was without status in Canada, was removed to Guyana.
Visit the firm’s webpage at https://jainimmigrationlaw.com/ to learn more about why Mr. Jani is rated one of the best immigration lawyers in Toronto. The law office in Toronto is situated at Suite 6060 – 3080 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4N 3N1 Canada.
#2. Suzanne Bailey
Suzanne Bailey has become one associated closely with anyone interested in immigration law. Suzanne is a brilliant and experienced immigration lawyer focused on business immigration. She has been working with Blaney McMurtry LLP for over 30 years.
Her business immigration practice focuses on assisting temporary foreign workers in obtaining work permits and permanent resident visas under the federal and different provincial nominee programs available, especially in Toronto.
Suzanne has built herself a stellar reputation as one of the best immigration lawyers in Toronto, she is known to be compassionate and an attorney who understands how confusing and overwhelming the immigration process can be for clients and so she goes out of her way sometimes to keep her clients informed and updated about any changes in the immigration programs.
Suzanne provides her clients with knowledgeable representation at all times and is highly professional.
She has shown her clients over the years that she sees more than the issues they might have; she understands their struggles and sees them too. Suzanne’s prowess hasn’t gone unnoticed by the legal community; she chairs the Chair of the Port Entry Sub-committee.
This role enables her to constantly meet with the CBSA Regional Directors, Chiefs, and Officers to discuss various legal and processing issues immigrants face.
She is also an Executive Member of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada section of the Ontario Bar Association.
Suzanne regularly speaks on Immigration Business Law programs organized by the Ontario Bar
Her practice areas in Immigration include some of the following:
• Intra-company transfer work permits
• Reciprocal Employment Benefits work permits
• Significant Benefit to Canada work permits
• Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications (both temporary and permanent)
• Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs)
• Study Permits
• Sponsorship applications
• Express Entry (FSW, CEC, and FSTW) applications
• Provincial Nominee applications and a host of others.
You can contact Suzanne by sending her a message to her email: sbailey@blaney.com, or you could make an appointment and visit her at 2 Queen Street East, Suite 1500, Toronto, ON M5C 3G5, Canada. Here is a link to the official webpage of Blaney McMurtry LLP; https://www.blaney.com/
#3. Michael Battista
Michael Battista has been practicing Immigration and refugee law since he was called to the Ontario bar in 1992. His primary focus is on the immigration challenges faced by the LGBTQ community.
Michael has built a solid law practice and has represented various clients in all areas of Immigration. He co-authored a Canadian Family and Immigration Law text that has helped the academia in Canada understand various complexities surrounding Immigration.
Michael has served as the Litigation Coordinator for the Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association. He promptly received the CBA Volunteer Appreciation Award in 2019.
Michael has also served as the Chair of the Board of the AIDS Committee of Toronto, where he performed excellent work on issues related to HIV and Immigration. He also is the Founding Chair of Rainbow Railroad, an LGBTQ refugee support organization.
You can contact Michael by email at battista@migrationlawgroup.com or visit his law office, Migration Law Group, at 160 Bloor Street East, Suite 1000 Toronto, ON M4W 1B9, Canada, or visit their webpage at https://www.migrationlawgroup.com/.
Michael recently granted an interview where he spoke on the recent changes to the Canadian citizenship process for children born abroad.
#4. Brian Dingle
Brian is considered one of the best attorneys with an exclusive practice in business immigration and citizenship law.
He has acted as an attorney to represent several private and public sector employers and employees in proceedings and applications to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada and other Immigration and citizenship agencies in Canada.
He has been a great asset to employers in acquiring and transferring foreign talents and personnel. Some of the industries he has facilitated these transfers include;
• information technology
• mining
• oil and gas
• finance
• industrial
• sports
• entertainment
He has, over the years, advised a world-leading computer animator studio to establish a new animation studio in Canada. He understands the nuances of business migration and has shown great expertise and experience in handling such high-profile issues.
His office is at Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower 22 Adelaide Street, West Suite 3400 Toronto, ON M5H 4E3, Canada.
#5. Evan J. Green
Evan Green has an impressive immigration career and can practice Federal immigration law in Canada and the United States; he is called to bar in both countries.
He is one of the Senior Partners at Green and Spiegel, a renowned law firm in Toronto, Canada. He has been certified by The Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Immigration Law.
Evan has been recognized as an expert in immigration law and, on so many occasions, has been frequently asked to speak as a panelist and lecturer.
Evan has actively practiced immigration law for the past 26 years and has garnered extensive experience in every area of Canadian Immigration. He has spoken on immigration law in the following organizations:
• The Human Resources Professional Association
• The Canada Employment Relocation Council’s Annual Conference as well as their Immigration Symposium;
• The Council for Global Immigration;
• The Toronto U.S. Consulate; and
• The American Immigration Lawyers Association
Evan has such a strong understanding of the nuances involved in the Canada/U.S. cross-border issue. This has helped make him an asset to his law firm as he can efficiently lend his counsel to many businesses interested in the two countries. He is exceptionally skilled in corporate employee transfers, work permits, and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
You can reach Evan through his law office’s webpage at https://www.gands.com/ or visit the office at 150 York Street, 5th Floor Toronto, ON M5H 3S5 Canada.
#6. Shoshana T. Green
Shoshana Green, a partner at Green and Spiegel LLP in Toronto, has been in active immigration law practice since 1996. She has garnered extensive experience in all areas of immigration law in Canada and is considered an expert. Shoshana is certified as a specialist in Citizenship and Immigration matters by the Ontario Law Society.
Since her call to the bar, she has been exclusively practicing Immigration, citizenship, and refugee law. She has built a reputation by handling matters involving hiring foreign workers, applying for and maintaining a permanent residence, helping close individuals bring close relatives to Canada and a lot more.
Shoshana is considered an expert in helping international students move to Canada for studies, and she assists them in transitioning to becoming permanent residents. She is a huge participant in outreach programs designed for universities and colleges in Canada.
Students get more detailed information concerning their study permits, work permits, etc. She also has experience in litigating immigration-related disputes. She appears regularly before the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.
Shoshana is your best bet when contemplating your Canadian citizenship eligibility. You can reach out to her through her email address at shoshana@gands.com, and here is a link to the firm’s webpage where she is actively engaged in practice https://www.gands.com/
The address to the Toronto office of Green and Spiegel LLP is 150 York Street, 5th Floor Toronto, ON M5H 3S5 Canada.
#7. Stephen W. Green CS
Stephen Green is a certified specialist in Immigration Law by The Law Society of Ontario. He has practiced every aspect of Canadian Immigration over the last 30 years. Stephen has been invited to speak as a panelist, moderator, and lecturer on issues bordering Immigration on many platforms.
He is considered an expert in Immigration Law and has been invited on more than one occasion by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to attend the January 2017 roundtable and give feedback on the federal government’s new Global Skills Strategy.
Stephen was the Co-Chair of Upper Canada’s Annual Immigration Law Summit for five years and the past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section.
He also was the Chair of the Citizenship & Immigration Section, Canadian Bar Association of Ontario, and he headed the Immigration Practices and Procedures Course at Seneca College from 1997 to 2010.
Stephen’s expertise lies in corporate employee transfers, Temporary Foreign Worker Programs, Federal Skilled Worker applications, work permits, and Investor applications for clients.
Suppose you need an immigration lawyer specializing in assisting start-ups, and entrepreneurial clients cross over to other industries like IT, hospitality, and telecommunications, just to name a few. In that case, Stephen is the right attorney for you.
You can reach him by contacting the law firm through their webpage at https://www.gands.com/, or you can visit the physical office at Toronto at 150 York Street, 5th Floor Toronto, ON M5H 3S5 Canada.
#8. Heather N. Segal
Heather is one attorney you want on your team considering anything that has to do with Immigration into Canada. In the last twenty years, Heather has been passionately practicing North American immigration law.
She manages a fast-paced efficient, innovative law firm that values client satisfaction. Her team comprises dedicated attorneys with over 35 years of experience.
They have, through the years, found ways to use the experiences they have gathered to create strategies to solve any type of immigration issue seamlessly.
Heather regularly engages with opportunities where she speaks to bar associations, international conferences, students, and companies in and outside Canada.
She is a problem solver who is always strategic about the ways she finds solutions to complicated immigration issues.
When asked about the most challenging aspect of her area of expertise, she had this to say;
‘Immigration law is an ever-changing area of law.
It reflects the politics and economics of the time. As such, we are constantly alert to the myriad of movements within the immigration sphere.’
You could contact her directly through email at heather@segalilaw.com and visit her law firm’s webpage at https://www.segalimmigrationlaw.com to learn more about their work, especially regarding Immigration. The address to their Toronto office is 1352 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M5R 3H7 Canada.
#9. Matthew Jeffery
Mr. Matthew Jeffery, in recognition of his expert status in Canadian immigration law and practice, is certified as a Specialist by the Ontario Law Society. Matthew is a Barrister & Solicitor and an expert in all areas of Canadian immigration law.
He has, over the years, become a renowned expert in immigration matters especially surrounding Spouse and Partner Sponsorships, Express Entry applications, and Humanitarian cases; applications for temporary residence, including Work Permits, Study Permits, and Visitor Visas, as well as Permanent Resident Card renewals and Citizenship applications.
Mr. Jeffery’s office is also not opposed to the Canadian immigration court and tribunal matters, such as Refugee Claims, Appeals to the Immigration Appeal Division, and Judicial Review before the Federal Court of Canada. Over the last twenty years, he has consistently built a stellar reputation as an immigration lawyer in Canada and with an active practice in Toronto.
He is highly sought after and has the expertise required to guide his clients through the immigration system in Canada – not minding the complications.
You can get in touch with Mr. Jeffery here.
