Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Law Firm Blog

A Demanding Fortnight: Navigating Diverse Immigration Challenges

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of hearings entailing appearances at the Federal Court, Refugee Protection Division (RPD), and the Immigration Appeal Division. These hearings have showcased the breadth and complexity of immigration litigation in Canada. Last week began with two Federal Court appearances on Monday and Wednesday. The first dealt with a refusal of an overseas humanitarian and compassionate application by a visa office abroad. The second involved a where an LGBTQ individual from Pakistan faced refusal for the second time by the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). The week concluded with an appearance at the RPD for a refugee hearing against Lebanon, where the potential application of an exclusion clause was a central issue. Fortunately, the Minister’s non-intervention simplified the proceedings. This (shortened) week began with a refugee claim against India; everything went smoothly and the Board Member recognized the strength of the submitted disclosure which corroborated the claimant’s political opinion and activities and helped to establish his fears in a return scenario. This week saw another RPD hearing this time against Pakistan, where the claimant and their family's safety was in jeopardy due to their political activism and published opinions. These cases underscore the personal risks... Read more →

November 7, 2023 RedFM Punjabi language discussion on immigration levels announcement by Minister Marc Miller. Raj Sharma interviewed by Amanjot Pannu.

On November 7, 2023 I was interviewed by host Amanjot Pannu on RedFM and engaged in a Punjabi language discussion on the recent immigration levels announcement by Minister Marc Miller. In my opinion, Canada's immigration landscape is at a crossroads, with a surge in the temporary resident class (now) raising concerns among policymakers and the public alike. This surge seemingly wasn't a concern until this year when affordability and inflation raised its head. This temporary resident demographic encompasses both international students and temporary foreign workers, has been significantly impacted by recent policy decisions, leading to unforeseen challenges and will soon result in a reevaluation. Understanding the Temporary Resident Class: The temporary resident class is a crucial component of Canada's immigration system, intended to address short-term labor shortages and to enrich the educational landscape. However, the balance between its two primary subsets – international students and temporary foreign workers – has been skewed by policies allowing international students full-time employment and businesses to leverage cheaper foreign labor. Understanding the Immigration Plan or Levels Announcement: Minister Marc Miller's 'plan' is essentially a plan to have a plan. He's announced some tweaks to the overall levels but essentially it's an announcement of 'holding... Read more →

CBC Daybreak Interview on Newly Announced Immigration Levels

I was interviewed by Chris Walker of CBC Daybreak on November 2, 2023 discussing the newly announced immigration levels announced by Minister Miller. Download 2023 11 02 CBC daybreak interview Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2023 11 02 CBC Daybreak Interview Chris Walker: 13 minutes after six o'clock Pacific Time Immigration Minister Marc Miller has unveiled the federal government's updated immigration plan. It aims to attract more immigrants to smaller communities and rural areas, and we'll have more on that by the way, a bit later this morning on our program. This plan is also meant to ease labor shortages, with. The focus on sectors like construction and healthcare. The government says about 465,000 immigrants are expected this year, followed by half a million for each of the following two years. Raj Sharma is an immigration lawyer and former immigration officer, and is on the line from Calgary this morning. Raj Sharma, good morning. Raj Sharma: Good morning, Chris. Chris Walker: What do you think of this plan so far as we know the details? Raj Sharma: I think you hit it on the head there. It is a plan and there's not a lot of details. Generally speaking,... Read more →