Canada’s Federal Court is facing record strain, with immigration cases now taking up to 18 months. @willtao.bsky.social spoke with the Jas Johal Show on Global News about backlogs, automated refusals, and why reforms are urgently needed. #ImmigrationCanada #FederalCourt #HeronLawOffices

New blog by Karina Juma, Canadian Immigration and Refugee Lawyer at Heron Law Offices, on navigating the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan and its implications for immigration applicants. Read here: heronlaw.ca/navigating-t... #cdnimm #cndimm #canadianimmigration #heronlawoffices

After a client's PR application was refused due to an expired work permit, the client reached out to us for help. We showed that IRCC had misapplied its policy on Interim Work Authorization, and after a reconsideration request, the client's application was re-opened and approved. #cndimm #cdnimm

Our Principal Lawyer, @willtao.bsky.social, is guest lecturing this Friday in Prof. Paul Daly’s The “New” Administrative Law (3.0) course at Osgoode’s LLM program. Honoured to join this dialogue on public law. #AdminLaw #OsgoodeLLM #WillTao #HeronLawOffices

Our law firm resolved a #JR involving alleged #misrep in a Canadian work permit #refusal. Decision set aside by consent. Highlights flaws in Canada and US info sharing + why it’s vital to challenge immigration record errors.   #cdnimm #JudicialReview #HeronLawOffices

With the Stronger Borders Act (Bill C-2) announced earlier today, our latest blog explores its impact on Canadian immigration from a legal practitioner's perspective. #cdnimm #canadianimmigration #canadianborders

Looking forward to discussing digital border governance and administrative law at the Canadian Bar Association's immigration law conference tomorrow (9:45-11:00 PST). Thanks to @willtao.bsky.social for organizing our panel, Pixels and Precedents! www.cbapd.org/details_en.a...

Lexpert recently published a helpful overview of how to immigrate to Canada — and all of our lawyers at Heron Law Offices were happy to be interviewed for it. Read the full article on Lexpert: lexpert.ca/news/legal-f... #cdnimm #canadianimmigration #HeronLawOffices #Lexpert

Canada has acted compassionately in past crises. It must do so again. We are offering free half-hour immigration consultations to those victims (and family members of victims) seeking support with their temporary resident and permanent resident applications.

Our hearts are with those affected by the April 27 Lapu Lapu Day mass casualty incident in Vancouver. We are calling on #IRCC to urgently implement special immigration measures so families can reunite, attend funerals, and support loved ones — without delays or red tape. #ImmigrationSupport

Hate to do this again (feels circa Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship litigation with Erin Roth), but if u felt u were prejudiced by the submission process (based on a fairness ground - we will elaborate later based on categories we r considering), I am eager to hear from u. #cdnimm #caregiver

Our Principal/Canadian Immigration Lawyer @willtao.bsky.social spoke at the AI & Law Symposium today at UBC Allard on the topic of “Litigating Against the Administrative Machine: A Canadian Immigration Case Study”. #cdnimmigration #AI #cdnimm #canadianimmigration #litigation

I don’t think this is actually correct as the very premise of ReportIn is the FRT matching provided by Amazon Rekognition.

✨ Success Story ✨ Overcoming Procedural Fairness in Citizenship Applications This client received multiple PFLs before they retained us. With our strategic and rights-focused approach, we addressed the concerns, protected their privacy & secured their path to Canadian citizenship! #Canadian

We are immensely proud to announce that our founder, Will Tao, has been honoured as one of Canada's Leading Legal Practitioners in the 2025 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory! 🏆 heronlaw.ca/will-tao-hon... #HeronLawOffices #LegalExcellence #ImmigrationLaw #Lexpert2025 #AIinLaw

Happy Friday! Check out a new blog from Heron! Immigrating to Canada is a long process. Depending on the type of application submitted, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years to receive a decision. #judicialreview #mandamus #IRCCdelays #abuseofprocess heronlaw.ca/undue-delay-...

The Registrar’s Conversation with Will Tao - AI’s Role in Immigration and the Need for Human Oversight @willtao.bsky.social #cdnimm #AI #HeronLawOffices heronlaw.ca/exclusive-in...

去年12月初，Will Tao 出席加拿大国会，对话制定移民法的议员。Will Tao与加拿大律师协会主席Kamaljit Lehal一同，代表CBA 出席公民身份与移民常务委员会。他向议会议员就近期国际学生项目的改革进行了陈述。 heronlaw.ca/will-tao-%E5... #cdnimm #加拿大移民律师

Practicing Canadian immigration in a nutshell. #cdnimm #HeronLawOffices

In February, Canada signed on (relatively quietly I might add) to the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law: www.canada.ca/en/global-af... See the COE Convention Framework here: rm.coe.int/1680afae3c #cdnimm #加拿大移民 #律师

Just Announced: New Details for Canada’s Home Care Worker Pilots Set to Open on 31 March 2025. The new pilot programs are designed to simplify the process for home care workers to obtain permanent residency (#PR) and secure employment with a range of employers. #IRCC#HLO heronlaw.ca/just-announc...

💙 Family Day is around the corner, and we have a heartwarming success story to share! We recently helped a client sponsor their nephew under the Family Class through what’s often called the “Lonely Canadian rule.” #Cdnimm #FamilyReunification #Sponsorship #HeronLawOffices #Immigration #FamilyDay

We’re excited to be a Capstone partner at the UBC Master of Data Science Program Capstone Fair today! Join us at UBC Robson Square in DT Vancouver, where we’ll present our project. Stop by, say hello, and ask us any questions—we’d love to chat! #UBC #DataScience #CapstoneFair #HeronLawOffices

Very interesting (and will make for very interesting litigation!) IRCC has #risk #matrixes based on country profile. For India, concers are occupation-based for 1) Administrative Officers; 2) Construction Trades; 3) Entrepreneurs; 4) Farm Workers: #cdnimm

Security #screening language in #GCMS to show its a s.34 inquiry. This is also why a lot of the #security sections in GCMS are redacted. #cdnimm #VIT34 #ATIP

📢 Major Job Cuts at #IRCC Raise Concerns B.C. immigration lawyer Will Tao @willtao.bsky.social has been interviewed by CityNews 1130 for his insights on this critical issue. IRCC plans to cut 3,300 jobs over the next 3 years, sparking fears of longer wait times and impacts on marginalized groups.

It was a pleasure to be part of the 4th review of the #DADM alongside my #AIMICI colleagues @zeynabziaie.bsky.social @karinajuma24.bsky.social and Andrew Koltun. Our recommendations focus on a Canadian immigration perspective, highlighting Government's lack of compliance + DADM's need for clarity.

Celebrating a big win at @heronlfmc.bsky.social - #misrep allegations withdrawn after JR (settled by consent) of refusal decision relating to the disclosure of previous U.S. refusals. We were able to challenge the accuracy of the info-sharing system b/n Canada and US. #cdnimm

2025 is the year of 11th hour procedural fairness letters. See: Jahantigh v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2023 FC 1253 (CanLII), <canlii.ca/t/k06c1> at paras 27-28. #cdnimm #PFL www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/do...

"But borders have historically been violent spaces. As professor and former UN Rapporteur on Discrimination E. Tendayi Achiume argues, borders have long been predicated on exclusion and racial logics of belonging."

Re-reading and re-analyzing (for my thesis), the SCC decisions in May v. Ferndale, Mission Institution v. Khela, and R v. Ewert. There's so much more to be unpacked from those cases to inform how we should be viewing ADM in today's context. #cdnimm #adm

Now a permalink on @SSRN: Tao, Wei William and Juma, Karina, Matharu, Mamut, Mehrara, and Other Meanderings: A Review of 2024 Federal Court (Non-IRB) Case Law and Predictions for 2025 (December 06, 2024). CLEBC Immigration Issues in Depth 2024, Available at SSRN: #cdnimm #FederalCourt #Judicial

When I think about AI regulation, I wonder why the banning of facial recognition is such a stretch for the legal imagination. Based on all the harm like wrongful arrests and derailed lives facial recognition has caused, it's a clear case of prohibiting a technology from existing, not just its use.

Quoted [email protected] CBSA's facial recognition tool “This tool is going to be scaled up (and) allow for larger numbers,” said immigration lawyer Will Tao, who monitors the use of technologies in immigration. “That’s going to be part of the plan of removing temporary residents” with expired status

Thoughtful thread from @biancawylie.bsky.social below! Canada's Border Agency has adopted a facial recognition system, built by Amazon, for more 'convenient' border enforcement. IMHO, it's a wise time to resist all attempts to adopt authoritarian-friendly surveillance infrastructure.

In support of an award that has given me so much in the past decade - time to pay it forward and suggest you all nominate others! 19th Annual Clawbies – Time for Nominations! #clawbies2024 www.clawbies.ca/19th-annual-...

Flagpoling is ending. Still need to do a few regulatory amendments to get there, but looks like it'll come quick. #cdnimm www.canada.ca/en/public-sa...

We are pleased to share this paper by @willtao.bsky.social and Karina Juma for the 2024 @clebc.bsky.social Immigration Issues in Depth Conference. Access it below. #cdnimm #FederalCourt #JudicialReview #mandamus

80% of all ATIPs and 79% of all judicial reviews have a huge downstream spillover effect. And this was 2021-2022 when things were arguably much better than they are now. #cdnimm #judicialreview

Perhaps a bit over the top on the title, but on this rare occasion, we get to peak behind the veil of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and look at their Ombudsperson Office Feasibility Study (in draft form) where they explore whether or not it is feasible to establish said office.

@willtao.bsky.social has been quoted in The PIE News by Polly Nash along with Larissa Strong. “I find it quite short-sighted, heavy-handed, and not consistent either with the experiences of students,” immigration lawyer, Will Tao, told The PIE. #cdnimm #intled #studypermit #studypermitextensions

Yesterday, CityNews VAN interviewed our Canadian Immigration and Refugee Lawyer Will Tao @willtao.bsky.social on the challenges American Swifties with DUI convictions may face at the Canadian border. #cdnimm #canadianimmigration #ErasTour #Swiftie #Inadmissibility #removals #criminalrehab #CBSA

I’m “Down Bad” - I didn’t know a #DUI from 20 years ago made me inadmissible! “I can fix him (no really I can)” - Karina Juma #TaylorSwiftErasTour #Swifties #Vancouver

I have had several study permit extension refusal inquiries come in over the last few days...... I think I see where this is going. Remember how for years I've been concerned about the 'actively pursuing studies' requirement, and the lack of referral to Immigration Division. #cdnimm #students

Another year again! Our principal lawyer @willtao.bsky.social has been invited to speak at the #CLEBC immigration session on December 6. Looking forward to it! #cdnimm #canadianimmigration #immigrationlawyer

Grateful for the opportunity to be going to Ottawa this upcoming Monday (December 2nd) and "run it back" at #CIMM. Two years ago, I spoke on how we should be less discriminatory in how we improve outcomes for Francophone students from Africa.

To be very vocal, I think the Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Designated Learning Institutions): SOR/2024-219 represent harmful regulation. gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/202...

Appalling news from the Cnd Gov’t on refugee sponsorship. I haven’t yet introduced myself but I write on refugees & the relationship b/w asylum & resettlement, warning we need to ensure the door is open to asylum as discretionary resettlement programs are vulnerable. www.canada.ca/en/immigrati...

On the yearly public lecture circuit: - Nov 26th: Queens University - Graduate Diploma in Immigration & Citizenship Law - Dec 3rd: Allard - Administrative Law - Guest Lecture; - Dec 6th: Continuing Legal Education British Columbia CLEBC Looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces!! #cdnimm