Recommend good Immigration lawyer in Toronto?

tejasmarcos says on Apr 7, 2007, 07:28:

do a google search i found lots up in Toronto.

trying to walk a straight line on sour mash and cheap wine...

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Ubu says on Apr 7, 2007, 10:58:

Sure, but I would like a recommendation Thanks for the response - of course I searched on Google, but I was hoping to get some feedback from someone here with real experience. There is no easy way when searching Google to distinguish between really good immigration lawyers and poor ones (I'm sure the bad ones don't say they're bad).

More so, I was hoping that if someone here could refer me to someone that I might find a lawyer with specific experience with immigration from Colombia.

Anyway, I'm still looking/hoping for any names, suggestions, referrals you can offer.

Cheers,
Barry

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Proud_Canadian says on Apr 8, 2007, 12:25:

dude, I'm in the same boat as you...like, almost exactly! I am also researching all the exact same info. Contact me, and maybe we can help each other out.

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jinksmiester says on Apr 8, 2007, 13:45:

i have a recomendation....forget the lawyers...go to canada imigrations website ..down load the documents(the same ones you will have to complete with a lawyer)...do it yourself as with or without a lawyer the process is the same ...your wife still needs police certificates...a medical...forms of family history...forms decribing your relationship...photo,s.. phone records etc...a lawyer is a waist of money and if he or she drags there ass on the paper work it will take longer than just filling out the forms you have to fill out(regardless)and sending them off...you,ll probably save enough you can buy your lady a huge rock for her finger and then some...

as far as getting a visiter visa for your girlfriend....hate to break it to you but its highly unlikely...unless your lady has loads of cash
(her own)and property or a stupendous job in colombia to convince them she will return(they will not give her a visa even if you are a millionare and offer to pay for everthing...and if she tells canada imigration she has a boyfriend in canada not a chance in hell she will get one...a red flag goes up (BECAUSE)she has a borfriend and might not return to colombia....i tried to get a visiter visa for my colombian (WIFE...NOT GIRLFRIEND) in the hope we could wait for her pr visa in canada and it was refused because she has a husband she might not return...ive traveled back and forth 11 times for 3 weeks or a month to be with my wife because they won,t let her come to canada until she has her pr visa(i know...stupidity) my wife has no criminal record of any sort...had the medical...proof of our relationship and wedding going back 2 years and the answer was NO from immigration canada...
to be factual...about the only way to get a lady ..to canada from colombia is to marry her first...submit the paper work then exspect a wait time of 8 to 15 months ...if the documents are not correct and complete probably the later...
three ways to apply for a wife or girlfriend..
no1...marry her...apply for a pr visa
no2...live commonlaw in her country for at least 6 months together and apply for a pr visa
no3 is a congugual relationship ...convince immigration that due to cercumstances beyond the control of you and you lady you are unable to live together but consider her like your wife...they will want to know how you have tryed....and in all 3 cases you need proof the relationship is genuine...medical ..police certificates...etc...the paperwork is all the same.
a note on getting married in colombia...get ahold of imigration canada and make sure you have all documents etc so the marraige is legal in colombia and canada...i also suggest calling the colombian embassy in canada for what they require to make it legal...you will a page size copy birth certificate...if you have been divorced copys of that...anouther form that proves you are single..copys of your passport etc....officially translated....apostiils from both embassys...and legally noterized....it a big pain in the ass but not much sense getting hitched only to find out you are,nt legally married.
none of this sounds good ..i know...its a sad fact that canada immigration can get a forien worker into the country in about 6 weeks from bogota and elsewhere as well...they claim that they are committed to helping husbands and wives but they are only commited to helping big business...burger flippers for wendys and mcdonalds and cheap forien labour for walmart and the oil companys are there prioritys.
it may take a year to bring your loving spouse home(and then she will not be allowed to work for anouther year)...but you,ll find someone at tim hortons or wendeys that got here in 6 weeks(im sure they did an indepth investigation)....
hold the mayo and pickles...now thats a priority if i ever heard one!!
anyhow...if i can be of any help drop me a note...ive been there and done that...presently waiting for final aproval to bring my wife home in the final stages now...we had to get police certificates and medicals twice because it took them that long to look at our app they were exspired (they don,t want them over 3 months old but don,t even look at the app for 6 months....

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

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Ubu says on Apr 9, 2007, 09:56:

I appreciate the advice Jinksmiester, but with all do respect, I have no way of knowing if you (or anyone for that matter) are an actual expert, someone who knows just enough to be dangerous, or are completely wrong. I appreciate you taking the time to write out such a long response, but you appear to have some pretty strong opinions (which may well be correct) on the immigration process and priorities, and I'm taking a wild guess from your writing, er, style that you are not an actual lawyer :) (BTW, try writing your posts in a word processor and then copy'n'paste into the web form - you'll catch a lot of those typos and grammatical errors, and your opinions will probably carry a lot more weight)

Given the nature of the questions people have, and considering the life long implications, it seems silly to me not to consult with a professional - the small cost is more than vale la pena. I realize that there are bad lawyers, but at least there is some way of judging the source of the information.

I guess nobody has any actual recommendations or experience with individual lawyers in Toronto?

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Azul says on Apr 9, 2007, 14:45:

Be nice to jinksmiester Give Jinksmiester a break, he's essentially correct. For someone asking for info, you should be a little more gracious in receiving it. The regulars on this site know quite a bit about immigration, because most of us have been dealing or have dealt with that shit before.

Canada is notorious for being difficult when it comes to visas, especially tourist visas. He was essentially correct when he said the only way (realistic way) for you to get her there is by marrying her and waiting up to a year for the visa. It sucks, but that's the system. Thank God I live in the U.S. where it only takes about 6 months or so if you are lucky.

But by all means, do consult a Lawyer if that makes you feel better. Many of us on this site just know that immigration attorneys in most normal cases are money down the drain. They can't really do much for you but organize and mail your paperwork.

las cosas caen por su propio peso

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jinksmiester says on Apr 9, 2007, 15:34:

no im not a lawyer,gee! how did you figure that out?was it the fact that i told you not to get a lawyer that clued you in?im a canadian citizen who has gone through the imigration process for my colombian wife....if you don,t think the wait times for a visa are acurate i suggest you visit canada,s imigration website...there you will find the (actual times )for different visa,s posted for each canadian embassy world wide...if you go a little further into the website you can download and print the entire imigration package to bring your wife ..girlfriend ..visiter ..or worker to canada(it will also tell you in the documents you can use a third party(lawyer)if you choose but they are processed in the order recieved.half the documents are filled out by you and the other half by your lady along with a med etc...go ahead and try and bring your lady on visiters visa...let me know how that goes.thats one horse i,ll bet against!make sure and tell them she has a boyfriend in canada.
i was just letting you in on a few (facts).don,t blame me i did,nt make them...im just letting you know them . if you choose not to research them or ignore them...well thats your own stupidity ,money and time wasted,all i can say is go for it.
fact-the average time to process a work visa through bogota is 6 to 8 weeks(or less) for the guy who puts pickles on your hamburger bun.
fact- the very best time you can hope for to process a spousal visa( or commonlaw)permanent resident visa is about 10 months if you have all your documents correct (thats 2 months for sponsorship papers and about 8 months if you are lucky to have the pr visa aproved.
fact-the odds of obtaining a visiter visa for your girl friend are somewhere between zero and none unless she can prove -she has property -or a real good job to return to in colombia-can also show bank statements showing money she has earned to show she can cover all the costs associated with her visit( it does,nt matter how much cash you have or if you are trying to pay the entire thing,and if you try to stuff her bank account with cash that won,t work either)it has to be money she earned herself.she also has to explain why she wants to visit canada and convince them she will return to colombia.having a boyfriend is a reason to (NOT) want to go home.
i got married in colombia and had all the documents etc prepared that i needed in about a week .then sent them out to immigration canada.a lawyer would have taken months sending documents etc from colombia to canada,to immigration canada etc..unless you or your lady have a criminal record(perhaps then a lawyer might make a difference)a lawyer is a waste of time and money.a lawyer will hand you the same package i printed off the website,get you and your lady to fill it out and then mail it away for you.but hey man...its your time and your money ...go for it !
as far as my spelling goes...or not using capital lettters where appropriate...well gee! im just trying to pass a little info on to you and frankly i don,t give a damn.
you know what i can,t figure out,your so well educated obviously, but still not smart enough to do a little research on your own....ya, you better get a lawyer.

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

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Ubu says on Apr 10, 2007, 12:04:

So sensitive? You know, I've been on the internet since 1987 (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and the web was a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee's eye), and I never get used to the surprising reactions some people have, from the old usenet flame wars to blog wars today. Not knowing you (Jinksmeister) personally, I can only get a sense of you from your responses which, even if I ignore the writing, still seem show some serious bias if not outright hostility at the Canadian immigration system (again, no idea why, you could be right). Your response seems angry (if not plain hostile), and as you and I have never met I can't imagine it's directed towards me (what sense would that make?). My reply was simply that while you were answer *a* question, you weren't answering the question I'd asked and, not knowing my situation, I appreciated you taking the time to answer, but you really did miss the point of my question. I was simply looking for the name of a good lawyer - if you don't know one, thank you for your suggestions, but I'm still going to look.

I do take both of your suggestions to heart about using a lawyer to help with the application process, but in fact I have no intention of doing that - I have specific questions I wanted to pose to a lawyer (and it's worthwhile paying for an hour or two of their time for their expertise), but I'm more than capable (as you suggest) of doing the paperwork myself. I did manage to find a very knowledgeable lawyer who spoke with me for 15 minutes, answered all my questions and (surprise, surprise) didn't even ask me for any money (including telling me to do the application paperwork on my own). Go figure. However he was able to answer my other questions, which was the whole point all along.

One last thought. I have no desire to start any kind of flame war (I really never got the point of them), and I'll take your gibes at my "stupidity" in the context that they are given. But I do have one question for you: if it is true that, as you say, "the average time to process a work visa through bogota is 6 to 8 weeks for the guy who puts pickles on your hamburger bun.", why wouldn't more people simply use that route to get their girlfriend/fiancée/spouse into the country?

Something to ponder. At any rate I hope I can still use this site for information, and with any luck get less, shall we say, aggressive responses to questions, but hey, it's a free world (more or less). Best of luck,

Barry

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jinksmiester says on Apr 10, 2007, 12:39:

good you found a lawyer(curious ...what were these questions that only a lawyer could answer?)
as for your question..
in order for a person to come to canada on a temporary work visa they must first be offered a job which-no 1 has been posted on the canada job bank website for a specific time-no2 the company hiring must also run adds in news papers and show the job cannot be filled by a canadian worker. also if english is required for the job the worker must have the ability to speak and understand english.then they come on a contract position for a set time-be that 6 months or a year.worth noting as well that you can,t apply for a PR VISA while in canada as a temporary worker.its still not such a simple procedure,although if you had your own business that might be a quicker way of getting someone into canada (short term).
do i think its correct that temporary forien worker visa applications seem to have priority over familys and husbands and wives...no i don,t..do you?(manny applications will be finalized in two weeks, not 10 months to a year or more as it is with a spouse). however, i also realize that there embassys are probably understaffed and the people there may be over worked.some probably a lot more so than others.there are also a substantial amount of documents and paper to go through for every applicant.no doubt thats why its such a slow process.
most people probably think its best to try and bring there lady in the normal way as there spouse.as well most probably don,t know the ins and outs of hiring a forien worker.ive looked into it because i have a small company in canada and it might be an option if im stuck for workers.on that note ,if immigration found out you were jerking them around trying to get your wife or girlfriend (they ask if you have family in canada or are in a relationship and where you plan to stay) into the country and refuse the application ,in time the person you are trying to bring into canada will be seen as a visa hunter.that might do a lot more damage than good.better to do things legal and hounest.
anyhow, im not trying to offend you..so dry those tears...i was,nt calling you stupid, im saying not doing a little research would be dumb.on that note if i were you id go to the canada immigration website and read up and look at whats required .i was really just trying to give you a little insite into what to exspect as well as whats required for getting your lady to canada.if you decide to use or not use the knowlage ive obtained going through the immigration process...well thats your choice and it does,nt matter to me. you are not however the only person who reads these posts, they may be of use to other people as well.im just trying to save you some time and frustration.if you love this lady then you will want her with you sooner rather than later...(as in wasting time on an application that has very little chance of success)or adding an extra 2 or 3 months to the processing time and a few thousand in unnessecary legal costs.and just for the record ..you stated your (situation). you said all you wanted is a lawyer and to bring your lady to canada to visit and then possibly get married. would you rather go through a pile of documents and legal costs applying for a visiter visa(that you would never get)or would you rather know the facts ahead of time and not waste the time and effort?there is no easy fix for getting your lady into canada as you will soon find out.
in any event, i don,t think you want my advice,and you certainly don,t appreciate it.instead of trying to be of help to you i,ll ignore you from here on in.it may be,you are simply one those people who has to learn though there own mistakes.
good luck

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

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vicshere says on Apr 10, 2007, 19:36:

woow UBU you are very ungrateful...jink knows more about the immigration into Canada than you lawyer buddy....and by the way he hit every nail on the head.....after 10 months waiting for my wife to come up to Canada I said fuck it I am retiring now and going to live in Colombia....I got feed up with the whole Canadian racket its total bullshit where Terrorist from Iran can basically walk into the country and others who want to do it very legally get put on the back burn....Canadian immigration sucks at best it only there to bring useless soles to Canada for that reason Canada has been going to the dog for many years.....I am glad I now live in Colombia and next year I will get my Colombian citizenship...UBA say Thanks to Jink...

listo
"con mucho gusto"
Vic

listo

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tompower says on Apr 11, 2007, 06:05:

I have your answer UBU Ubu initially didn't like your response Jinksmeister because you told him the exact opposite of what he wanted to hear,.. which was the following:
" Hey Ubu, I know a great lawyer on Bay Street and for $500 bucks he can get your paisa up here on a work visa, and don't worry when your friends tell you your insane for bringing your teenage hooker up from colombia you'll be able to tell them all how YOU didn't marry her or do anything stupid your just F$ at !ing her."

Canada is a beautiful country founded on strong democratic principles and any one of its citizens should be able to navigate its immigration process without needing a lawyer, just like you should be able to fill out your income tax form yourself, or apply for a social insurance card.

Ubu when you're eventually REALLY serious about marrying a colombian woman and bringing her to Canada, feel free to return to this post and read everything jinksmeister has told you because it is a step-by-step account of what you are going to HAVE TO do.

Jinksmeister is the resident expert on canadian visa process here.
Remeber, were all inthis together,
Tom Power
(Married my costena jan 21/06, submitted application march 2/06, my wife got her PR visa november 4/06 without any immigration lawyer assistance because CANADA works that way)

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petrovern says on Apr 29, 2007, 00:42:

Tompower........ I would love to hear about your experience and story. I travel to Barranquilla July 15 to meet and hopefully marry my Colombian Angel. Your story would prove helpful to me I am sure. My best friend is an immigration lawyer and they do get bogged down. I think first hand accounts from people in similar circumstances are much more helpful. Please share?
Regards,
Peter.


To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds....... ......this is my symphony.
WILLIAM HENRY CHANNING.

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds....... ......this is my symphony. WILLIAM HENRY CHANNING.

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jinksmiester says on May 4, 2007, 07:41:

I can,t imagine using a lawyer would help much unless a person can,t read or write...even then you could get a friend to help with the documents.It really is a fairly easy procedure.There are however lots of papers required but if you are like santa and check the list twice its no problem.I think where people run into problems is by getting married before they have even taken the time to get to know the lady they are getting married to.If you go to Colombia and marry someone you have never met in person and have only spent a week or two with, its common sense that immigration might think she is just a visa hunter or that its a marraige of convienience.And in reality why would anyone want to do that?Its a set up for failure.Both partys need to take the time to get to know each other.
If they do that its likley the visa will be processed with no problems.
It took 8 months total time to get my wife to Canada,but we had a history of 2 years plus together and i made a dozen trips spending time with her in Colombia.An interview was not required...they knew it was the real mcoy.I sent letters to the embassy in bogota evertime i was visiting and asked them to add it to our file and also fired off letters to minister of immigration.

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

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oldbongo says on May 18, 2007, 11:13:

and for the record... oldbongo confirms all jinks has reported, and more.
his sense of hostility, and vics', stems from the feelings of despair and humiliation that almost everyone goes through in the process.
of the three available options, oldbongo chose "conjugal partner"
as it has been the most entertaining to discuss with the authorities.
if the poster is still here, ask oldbongo your question.

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petrovern says on Oct 28, 2007, 15:44:

Yup! in the process. I spoke to Tom via email and followed all his advice. My Colombiana am I were married July 19/07 and she has had a Visitor Visa denied since then (waste of 4 or 5 hundred dollars on Fedex, travel expenses and hotel an food from B/quilla to Bogotá, plus Visa fees etc). My buddy is an immigration lawyer and he agrees w/ Jinks; it's all BULL, but you can do it yourself. I am heading down again in December/07 for 2 weeks. It is hard for me to go down regularly because I am a single parent with 1/2 custody of 3 kids and I must work full time. And yes getting married after not meeting someone in person, or living with them may seem like a big leap of faith, but remember it worked for most of our grandparents. Colombianas are basically old fashioned in their approach to relationships and marriage, and will spoil you rotten if you are good to them and faithful. My wife never left me alone for a minute while I was down there; if she couldn't be with me a family member was there for my every need. My mother and father in law called every day I was there to "make sure" she was treating me right and "satisfying" my every need. It took some getting used to, but the reality is she is genuinely thrilled with me. I try to take out the garbage and she was horrified because the neighbors will talk and say she is a bad wife. I am a chef and when I insisted that I wanted to cook dinner for her, her sister and brother-in-law she finally acquiesced but kept the curtains and blinds closed so nobody would see me cooking. She kept laughing because she said it was so funny to see a man in the kitchen; and I knew what I was doing. In the 20 years of my marriage to a Canadian woman, I never once felt as loved and cared for as she has made feel every single day we spent together, even when we are apart she is ridiculously attentive and committed; talking online to my kids (who she refers to as nuestro hijos: Our kids). Yes i know I have run on in a personal tangent, but the message is; it's a pain in the ass, but If you love her? It is well, well worth it. I would do anything for my wife, because she DOES EVERYTHING for me. That's why these marriages work, unless you are dumb or a complete and utter selfish jackass.

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds....... ......this is my symphony. WILLIAM HENRY CHANNING.

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manINred says on Oct 28, 2007, 18:48:

h

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Colombiche says on Oct 28, 2007, 19:47:

I CAN't personally recommend Maureen Elizondo, but I know plenty of people that claim she is quite effective, some others don't. I don't know the exact details of your situation, but here is her webpage:

http://www.m-elizondo.com/

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Colombiche says on Oct 28, 2007, 19:48:

Canada immigration has a lot of strange quirks. I have relatives who have been denied their visas, meanwhile I know thugs and extremists that prance in like nothing.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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vicshere says on Oct 28, 2007, 20:02:

dam i would have hired her....she looking goooddddd

listo

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Colombiche says on Oct 28, 2007, 20:17:

She is my friend's aunt, she is white Canadian but married to an Argentine dude.

LIke I said some people claim she is quite effective, some other people have less than flattering things to say about her. I can't really say, but everybody has their suporters and their detractors.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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