Pre-Registration

Westin Hotel, Ballroom Foyer

Opening Reception and Fireside Chat

Ottawa Art Gallery, Alma Duncan Salon

6:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Fireside Chat with Special Guest Speaker: The Honourable Mahmud Jamal of the Supreme Court of Canada

Moderator: Robert Israel Blanshay, Blanshay Law (Toronto, ON)

Young Lawyers Social

Joy on Sussex

Scenic Run/Walk - Ottawa Canal Loop

Hosted by Jacqueline Bonisteel, Corporate Immigration Law Firm [CILF] (Ottawa, ON)
Starting location: The Westin Hotel Lobby
Route is 5k or 30-minutes. All levels of experience welcome. No equipment required.

Pilates Session

Hosted by Veronique Malka, Canadian Law Group LLC (Hackensack & Montréal)
Westin Hotel, Governor General III
All levels of experience welcome. Limited number of spots available; first come, first served. Limited yoga mats are available. Hotel bath towels will be offered.

Registration and Breakfast

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom and Foyer
Sponsor

Welcome Remarks

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom and Foyer

Lisa Middlemiss, National Chair, CBA Immigration Law Section; Gomberg Dalfen S.E.N.C. (Montréal, QC)
Kiren Saini, Conference Co-Chair, CBA Immigration Law Section; EY Law LLP (Calgary, AB)
Alicia Backman-Beharry, Conference Co-Chair, CBA Immigration Law Section; Holthe Immigration Law (Calgary, AB)

Keynote "Stop Predicting, Start Preparing: Economic Turbulence in 2023"

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom

Todd Hirsch, Author and Economist

Opening Plenary – Immigration in a post pandemic world: A summary of the three Government department’s current priorities, what we can expect from each department in 2023 and onward.

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the processing of applications, both in-land and overseas. In this session, officials from the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will address the current state of operations out of the larger visa offices and will discuss how the Department has addressed the resulting backlog of applications. Officials from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will also discuss how the pandemic impacted its enforcement operations in terms of removals and at ports of entry. Lastly, a representative from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) will discuss its current operations and caseload from across the country.

Moderators:
Lisa Middlemiss, Gomberg Dalfen (Montréal, QC)
Kyle Hyndman, MKS Immigration Lawyers (Vancouver, BC)

Speakers:
Michèle Kingsley, Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations, Domestic Network, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Aaron McCrorie, VP, Intelligence and Enforcement Branch, CBSA (Ottawa, ON)
Roula Eatrides, Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Ottawa, ON)

Break

The Westin Hotel, Ballroom Foyer

Concurrent Sessions

1A: Labour Market Impact Assessments Overview and Current Trends

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.
Sponsor

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has seen a significant increase in the number of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications submitted in the past year. As a result, officers are closing applications deemed incomplete rather than following up for missing materials. It is more important than ever to ensure that your LMIA applications meet all the current rules and include all necessary documents so that they are deemed complete from the outset. This session will review the basics of an LMIA application including business legitimacy documents, advertising requirements, proper vetting of applicants, and provincial registrations. It will also cover some of the most common pitfalls and provide helpful tips for success.

• Review of low wage and high wage categories
• Q & A with ESDC Representatives

Moderator:
Camille Régent, Galileo Partners (Montréal, QC)

Speakers:
Sara Espinal Henao, Stewart McKelvey (Halifax, NS)
Deveen Harris, EY Law LLP (Toronto, ON)
Steve Pageau, Director, Temporary Foreign Worker Program, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)
Julien Hakim, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)

1B: Mandamus Applications

The Westin Hotel, Governor General I & II

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been major backlogs of applications at visa processing offices. Consequently, there has also been a significant increase in processing delays leading in a higher number of mandamus applications before the Federal Court. This panel will cover the number of mandamus applications currently before the Federal Court, how IRCC is addressing these outstanding applications and current processing times, as well as recent jurisprudence involving mandamus applications.

In addition, the Panelists will address the following subjects:

• Large volume of applications impeding process
• When to file Mandamus
• How to best manage client expectations

Moderator:
Hilla Aharon, Counsel, Justice Canada (Vancouver, BC)

Speaker:
Annabel E. Busbridge, Bertrand Deslauriers Avocats [BDIA] (Montréal, QC)
Heidi Smith, Director, Immigration Litigation Management, Litigation Management Branch, IRCC (Ottawa, ON)
Nimanthika Kaneira, Counsel, Department of Justice, Immigration Law Division (Toronto, ON)
Marie-Josee Dorion, Director General, Operations Planning and Performance – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Ottawa, ON)

Refreshment Break

The Westin Hotel, Ballroom Foyer

Concurrent Sessions

2A: The Complete PR Perspective: From PNP Portals to Spousal Portals

The Westin Hotel, Governor General I & II
Sponsor

This session will review the online application process for submitting permanent residence applications through the online PR portal, including PNPs and spousal sponsorship. Our speakers will provide practical tips for navigating the new portals successfully. IRCC speakers will address some of the most commonly asked questions about the PR portals and will provide the Dos and Don’ts for the process.

Moderator:
Nathan Po, McCuaig Desrochers LLP (Edmonton, AB)

Speaker:
Chi-Young (Chi) Lee, McCrea Immigration Law LLP (Vancouver, BC)
Promiti Wahab, Assistant Director of Modernization and Digital Solutions Team, Social Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, Immigration Program Guidance Branch, IRCC (Ottawa, ON)

2B: Cases before the SCC: SCC Jurisprudence, Mason and Dleiow

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.

Lawyers and academics to review cases before the SCC, as well as top SCC decisions and an update on the STCA litigation. This session will be a must for all litigators.

Moderator:
Barb Jackman, Jackman & Associates (Toronto, ON)

Speakers:
Jamie Liew, University of Ottawa (Ottawa, ON)
Erica Olmstead, Edelman & Company; Adjunct Professor, University of British Columbia Allard School of Law (Vancouver, BC)
Robert Kincaid, Kincaid Law (Vancouver, ON)
Mahan Kerarmati, Counsel, Department of Justice Canada (Toronto, ON)
Marianne Zoric, General Counsel, Department of Justice, Ontario Regional Office (Toronto, ON)

Lunch Panel: Mental Health, Wellness & Fitness for the Legal Profession in a Post Pandemic World

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
Lunch Sponsor

Guest Speaker: Dr. Julie MacMillan-Devlin

Remarks and Q&A with the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.

This session will close with the presentation of the 2023 CBA Immigration Law Section Founders' Award.

2023 Founders’ Award Recipient:
Genevieve Giesbrecht, Bart Law LLP (Toronto, ON)

3A: Updates on Anti-Racism Efforts in Canadian Immigration

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.
Sponsor

The Panel will provide updates from IRCC, and the CBA Anti-Racism Committee on recent Anti-Racism efforts undertaken and their impacts on racialized immigration clients.

Moderator:
Gabriela Ramo, Secretary and Communications Officer, CBA Immigration Law Section; EY Law LLP (Toronto, ON)

Speakers:
Pantea Jafari, CBA Anti-Racism Committee; Jafari Law (Toronto, ON)
Farahldine Boisclair, Director, Anti-Racism Task Force, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Alice Tang, Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Western Region, Immigration Division, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Vancouver, BC)

Refreshment Break and Transition

The Westin Hotel, Ballroom Foyer

Concurrent Sessions

This year, we offer a revisited version of the very popular “Asked & Answered” sessions in the form of “Hot Topics”. These sessions will take the form of a discussion and will allow participants to ask questions to senior practitioners regarding popular subjects in a more intimate setting. The time will be split in two, so a participant can attend 2 hot topics of their choice during this time slot.

Eight (8) subjects will be running at the same time, four on the Solicitors’ side and four on the Litigation side. Speakers will run each of their sessions twice during this time slot.

4A: Hot Topics for Solicitors - GTS LMIAs

The Westin Hotel, Quebec
Sponsor

Speakers:
Helen Park, Dentons Canada LLP (Vancouver, BC)
Rishma Peera, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)
Liliane Goulet, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)
Christopher Chevrier, Director, Policy and Program, Temporary Worker Program, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)

4B: Hot Topics for Solicitors - PORTAL Pitfalls

The Westin Hotel, Provinces I

Speakers:
Oliver Mao, BARTLAW LLP (Toronto, ON)
Chi-Young Lee, McCrea Immigration Law (Vancouver, BC)
Nathan Po, McCuaig Desrochers (Edmonton, AB)

4C: Hot Topics for Litigators - Criminal inadmissibility - CBSA perspective re-entry at borders

The Westin Hotel, Les Saisons

Speaker:
Aleksandar (Alex) Stojicevic, Managing Partner, MKS Immigration & Citizenship Lawyers (Vancouver, BC)

4D: Hot Topics for Litigators - Group Applications to Federal Court

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom

Speaker:
Erin C. Roth, Edelmann & Co. Law Offices (Vancouver, BC)

4E: Hot Topics for Solicitors - Start-up Visas

The Westin Hotel, Governor General I & II
Sponsor

Speakers:
Howard Greenberg, Greenberg Hameed PC (Toronto, ON)
Zeynab Ziaie Moayyed, Visa Law Group (Toronto, ON)
Kajananth Thirunavukkarasu (Kaj), Toronto Business Development Centre (Toronto, ON)

4F: Hot Topics for Solicitors - IRCC/ESDC Inspections

The Westin Hotel, Provinces II

Speakers:
Meghan Felt, NL Provincial Chair, CBA Immigration Law Section; Partner, McInnes Cooper (St. John's, NL)
Caroline Harès, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)
Imad Kabbaj, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)
Michael McLeod, ESDC (Ottawa, ON)

4G: Hot Topics for Litigators - Spousal Sponsorship Appeals to IRB – AD

The Westin Hotel, Ontario

Speakers:
Arghavan Gerami, Gerami Law PC (Ottawa, ON)
Dalia Habra, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Suzanne Gilbert, Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Appeal Division, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Toronto, ON)

4H: Hot Topics for Litigators - Motions for Stay of Removal before the Federal Court

The Westin Hotel, Nova Scotia & Newfoundland

Speakers:
Raj Sharma, K.C., Stewart Sharma Harsanyi (Calgary, AB)
The Honourable John Norris, Federal Court (Ottawa, ON)
Brett Nash, Counsel, Department of Justice Canada (Vancouver, BC)

Bench and Bar Meeting

The Westin Hotel, Nova Scotia & Newfoundland Room

Reunite Gala – Reception, Gala Dinner and Entertainment

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom and Foyer
Sponsor

This is a special ticketed event.Tickets can be purchased during the online registration process or anytime prior to the event until sellout. If you have already registered for the conference and would like to purchase a ticket(s), please email your request to pd@cba.org.

Dress Code: The theme of the evening is black and gold; it is highly encouraged for all attendees to dress in cocktail / semi-formal attire in the theme colours.

Award of Excellence Presentation

2023 Award of Excellence Recipient:
Aleksandar (Alex) Stojicevic, MKS Immigration Lawyers (Vancouver, BC)

Registration and Breakfast

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom and Foyer

Morning Plenary – Panel discussion on Artificial intelligence and related technology issues

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
Sponsor

The theme for this plenary is how has technology affected processing of immigration cases thus far? What improvements in technology can be made to help ensure there is no bias in decision making as well as ensuring fairness in delivery of immigration services? Is there a great role for AI to play in immigration processing?

Moderator:
David H. Davis, Davis Immigration Law Office; Davis Cyber Law (Winnipeg, MB)

Speakers:
Professor Gideon Christian, University of Calgary (Calgary, AB)
Zeynab Ziaie Moayyed, Visa Law Group PC (Toronto, ON)
Anna Lillicrap, Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Emmanuelle Deault-Bonin, a/Director General, Strategic Priorities and Planning, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Ottawa, ON)

Concurrent Sessions

5A: LMIA-Exempt Work Permits Advanced Discussion

The Westin Hotel, Governor General I & II
Solicitor Focused Panel
Sponsor

With skilled work shortages at an all-time high across Canada, this session will be an interactive discussion with IRCC exploring work permit categories exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment. This session will include statistics on approval rates and practical tips for preparing applications under commonly used employer sponsored categories:

• Intra-Company Transfers
• Free Trade Agreement Professionals
• Reciprocal Employment
• Significant Benefits to Canada

Moderator:
Brittany Trafford, Stewart McKelvey (Federicton, NB)

Speakers:
Neil Spencer, EY Law LLP (Vancouver, BC)
Ian Gillespie, IRCC (Ottawa, ON)

5B: Top 10 Federal Court Cases – A Year in Review

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
Solicitor/Litigation Focused Panel

This session is a year in review of federal court cases from different perspectives.

On one side, the DOJ lawyers will discuss their top 5 cases and identify how those cases will have or already had an influence in immigration processing.

On the other side, CBA lawyers will identify their top 5 cases and indicate how they have had or will have an influence in immigration processing.

Moderator:
Laura Best, Laura Best Immigration Law (Toronto, ON)

Speakers:
Raj Sharma, K.C., Stewart Sharma Harsanyi (Calgary, AB)
Warda Shazadi Meighen, Landings LLP (Toronto, ON)
Galina Bining, Counsel, Department of Justice Canada (Edmonton, AB)
Hillary Adams, Department of Justice Canada (Toronto, ON)

Refreshment Break

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom & Foyer

Concurrent Sessions

6A: Port of Entry – Ask Away!

The Westin Hotel, Governor General Room I & II
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.
Solicitor Focused Panel

With much of the world returning to business as usual, this session will be a Q & A session with practitioners and CBSA to address questions regarding procedures and applications at ports of entry post Covid-19. This Q & A session will explore various port of entry topics that will help practitioners prepare clients when entering Canada.

Topics may include:

• Limited applications at various ports of entry for flag poling – when is flag poling permitted, when are notices for Entry for Examinations issued and the impact of such notices
• Inadmissibility issues – TRP / Rehabilitation applications (impact of DUIs falling under serious criminality since Dec 18, 2018
• Examination of PR on residency requirements / Renunciation of PR at POE
• Any insights on how biometrics has impacted POE procedure
• What is the role of CBSA Regional Program Manager?

Moderator:
Steven Meurrens, Larlee Rosenberg (Vancouver, BC)

Speakers:
Daud Ali, Corporate Immigration Law Firm [CILF] (Toronto, ON)
Evelyn Ackah, Ackah Immigration Law (Calgary, AB)
Sharon Spicer, Director General, Traveller Operational Guidance and Support Directorate, Canadian Boarder Services Agency (Ottawa, ON)

6B: For the Well Seasoned Litigator and The Solicitor Who Wants to Know the Main Issues: E-Filing and Virtual Hearing Tips for Federal Court Cases

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.
Litigation Focused Panel

Members of Canadian Bar Association, the Department of Justice and Federal Court Justices will discuss timelines, expectations for e-filing and virtual hearing etiquette as well as offer advice regarding oral advocacy.

Moderator:
Chaobo Jiang, Zaifman Immigration Lawyers (Winnipeg, MB)

Speakers:
Claudia Molina, CBA Immigration Law Section; Cabinet Molina Inc. (Montréal, QC)
The Honourable Alan S. Diner, Federal Court (Ottawa, ON)
Monmi Goswami, Senior Counsel, National Litigation Sector, Department of Justice (Toronto, ON)

Lunch and Responding to Crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan Session

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom

Lunch Panel: Special guests from the CBA Pro Bono Initiatives — IRCC’s response to the situations in Afghanistan and Ukraine – Pro Bono success stories

Moderator:
Jacqueline Bonisteel, Corporate Immigration Law Firm [CILF] (Ottawa, ON)

Guest Speakers:
Success Story Afghanistan – Special Guest: Muzhgan Hamraz
Marufa Shinwari, Lifeline Afghanistan (Hamilton)
Veronica Wilson, TalentLift Canada (Toronto)

Success Story Ukraine – Special Guest: Talal Ghazi

We would like to thank all volunteers who participated in the pro bono initiatives, and all volunteer from various working groups and giving their time to draft submissions on various immigration-related subjects this year!

Concurrent Sessions

7A: Hot Topics for Solicitors — PNP discussion –West

The Westin Hotel, Quebec

Speakers:
Sofia Mirza, K.C., Past Chair, MBA Immigration Law Section; Fillmore Riley LLP (Winnipeg, MB)
Stanley W. H. Leo, Kairos Law Corporation (Port Coquitlam, BC)

7B: Hot Topics for Solicitors — QC Skilled Program

The Westin Hotel, Provinces I

Speaker:
Chantal Arsenault, Norton Rose Fulbright (Montréal, QC)

7C: Hot Topics for Litigators — Medical Inadmissibility

The Westin Hotel, Les Saisons

Speaker:
Michael Battista, Battista Migration Law Group (Toronto, ON)

7D: Hot Topics for Litigators — PNP discussion – Ontario

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom

Speaker:
Ziah Sumar, Long Mangalji LLP (Toronto, ON)

7E: Hot Topics for Solicitors — PNP discussion – Atlantic

The Westin Hotel, Governor General I & II

Speaker:
Lana Roberts, Member-at-Large, CBA Immigration Law Section; Barteaux Labour & Employment Lawyers, Inc. (Halifax, NS)

7F: Hot Topics for Solicitors — Study Permits & PGWPs

The Westin Hotel, Provinces II

Speaker:
Rafeena Rashid, Rashid Urosivic LLP (Toronto, ON)

7G: Hot Topics for Litigators — Refusals – Work Permits and Study Permits: What to Do and How to Strategize for Clients

The Westin Hotel, Ontario

Speaker:
Adrienne Denham, LeBeau Law Corp. (Coquitlam, BC)

7H: Hot Topics for Litigators — ATIPs – Importance for Future Application Submissions and Litigation

The Westin Hotel, Nova Scotia & Newfoundland

Speakers:
Douglas Cannon, Elgin Cannon & Associates (Vancouver, BC)
Martin Levine, Retired ATIP Consultant and former Visa Officer (Ottawa, ON)

Refreshment Break

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom Foyer

Volunteer Recognition Award Presentation

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom

2023 Volunteer Recognition Award Recipients:
Alicia Backman-Beharry, Holthe Immigration Law (Calgary, AB)
Alexandra Callinan, Mamann, Sandaluk & Kingwell LLP (Ottawa, ON)
Hilla Aharon, Counsel, Justice Canada (Vancouver, BC)

The Top 50 Points of Advice from The Bench and Bar in 60 Minutes

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom
This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available.

Moderator and Panelist:
Michael Greene, K.C., Sherritt Greene Immigration Law (Calgary, AB)

Panelists:
The Honourable Alan S. Diner, Federal Court (Ottawa, ON)
The Honourable John Norris, Federal Court (Ottawa, ON)
Barbara Jackman, Jackman & Associates (Toronto, ON)
Joel S. Guberman, Guberman // Appleby Immigration Lawyers (Toronto, ON)

Final Remarks and Draws

The Westin Hotel, Confederation Ballroom

Farewell Reception

The Westin Hotel, Governor General I & II