Borderlines

This episode originally aired on November 30, 2020. The Honourable Chris Alexander served as Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada from July 2013 to November 2015. He represented the riding of Ajax—Pickering in the House of Commons of Canada from 2011 to 2015. Prior to that spent 18 years in the Canadian Foreign Service, serving as Canada's first resident Ambassador to Afghnistan from 2003 - 2005. Subsequent to being an Member of Parliament he ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada.As Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Mr. Alexander presided over the launch of Express Entry, the termination of the Immigrant Investor Program and the introduction of the Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, which prohibited forced and underaged marriages.#5:09 – If there was one misconception about Canadian immigration law that Minister Alexander would like to change what would it be? #15:00 – Bill C-24 and the revocation of citizenship for dual nationals convicted of high crimes. #16:00 – Whether there was a strong anti-fraud and anti-exploitation mandate during Minister Alexander’s time as Minister.#22:00 – Combatting forced marriages. #23:00 – Preventing foreign worker abuse by sanctioning the employers who abuse them. #26:00 – The Barbaric Cultural Practices Act36:45 – Ending the Immigrant Investor Program#41:45 – Entrepreneurial immigration and self-employed program. #49:00 – Points inflation in Express Entry and the increased demand for Canadian immigration. #52:30 – The launch of Express Entry55:30 – Moving towards online applications#57:15 – What it was like following Jason Kenney as immigration minister, and the challenges posed, if any, by Jason Kenney retaining the multiculturism portfolio, as well the immigration minister sharing immigration responsibilities with HRDC and the Minister of Public Safety. #1:02 – The role the Prime Minister’s Office played with immigration. #1:05 – Mr. Alexander’s immigration platform when he ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada in which he called for an increase in immigration, and whether he pushed this view when he was Minister. #1:10 – The importance of Canadian immigration and populism. #1:15 – Open work permits on demand for people from visa exempt countries. #1:18 – The need for immigration to adapt to changing circumstances and system racism.#1:22 – When Minister Alexander would intervene on specific files. #1:25 – If Minister Alexander were giving advice to a future Minister of Immigration what would the advice be?

Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss join to discuss maintaining permanent resident status and upcomming changes to citizenship by descent law, both of which were topics in their recently published book Maintaining Permanent Residence Status and Acquiring Citizenship.Amandeep's article in the Toronto Star about Bill C-71 can be found here. Bill C-71 can be found here. Cases discussed include Bi v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 293. Amandeep Hayer is an immigration lawyer at Hayer Law, based out of Vancouver. Lisa Middlemiss is an immigration lawyer at Middlemiss Immigration Law Inc, based out of Montreal.

Sam Cooper is an award-winning investigative journalist and best-selling author. He is the founder of The Bureau, and his book, Wilful Blindness - How a Criminal network of narcos, tycoons and Chinese Communist Party agents infiltrated the West, debuted as a #1-seller on Amazon, in Canada.We discuss the United Front, foreign interference in Canada, Canadian enforcement issues, IRCC casting a wide security screening net that seems to encompass all Chinese with STEM backgrounds, Parliamentarians allegedly involved in collusion with foreign governments, international students voting in nomination ridings, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, 3/PLA and whether things are improving.Published cases involving inadmissibility to Canada due to membership in either the United Front or the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office include Meng v Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), Zhang v Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) and Gao v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration).Li v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2023 FC 1753 is the decision in which the Chief Justice of the Federal Court expanded the definition of espionage to include those who may be coerced by China into providing information.The past Borderlines episode where we mentioned Lai Changxing can be found here.

Arshdeep Kahlon is an immigration lawyer in Brampton. He was counsel in Singh v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2024 FC 1369, where the Court had to determine whether it is misrepresentation for an applicant in a visa application to not disclose that they were previously not granted entry to the United States while flagpoling.Topics include what flagpoling is, when one should flagpole vs. applying for a visa online, misrepresentation, how judicial reviews work and advocacy strategies and tips.

Raj Sharma is an immigration lawyer in Calgary. We discuss spousal sponsorship applications and appeals, showing that a relationship is genuine, arranged marriage, the primary purpose of a marriage, interview preparation, how Immigration Appeal Division appeals work, interpretation issues, in person hearings vs. remote, res judicata and inconsistencies in a relationship history.

Andrew Hayes is an American immigration lawyer who practices out of Vancouver, British Columbia. He previously appeared on episodes #32 - Keep Out the Poor - How Canada and the US Address Immigrants on Welfare, with Andrew Hayes, #37 - The Closure of the Canada - US Border and the Supreme Court's DACA Decision, and #41 - Judges Virtue Signalling Inside and Outside of Court. We discuss various types of US visa refusals, including administrative processing and ESTA cancellations, and the uncertainty in Canadian immigration law of whether these constitute refusals that need to be disclosed in applications. Also covered are denials of entry to the United States, with a particular focus on what actually happens at US Customs and Border Patrol when someone flagpoles.

Deanna and Steven discuss what we consider to be some top Federal Court immigration decisions to this point in 2024.Cases include Toor v. Canada, 2024 FC 1146 (restoration), Chung v. Canada, 2024 FC 1218 (misrepresentation when a degree is obtained through plagerism), Abdool v. Canada, 2024 FC 1172 (misrepresentation and involuntary cancellations of US entry attempts), and Alohan v. Canada, 2024 FC 1122 (reconsideration requests).

Siavash Shekarian is an immigration lawyer in Toronto, and the Executive Member & Public Affairs Liaison of the Ontario Bar Association, Citizenship and Immigration Law Section.