Mario D Bellissimo Featured on CBC News Regarding Disguised Refugee Claimant!

Mario D. Bellissimo was recently interviewed on CBC News regarding the plight of the young Asian man who managed to board a flight disguised as an older Caucasian male. He highlighted some of the procedural challenges the individual would face in the months to come and the various steps of the refugee process before a decision is made.

View the full interview here.

Mario D. Bellissimo to Chair Law Society of Upper Canada Program: "Effective Advocacy for Immigration Lawyers”

The session will be held on February 15, 2011 and will include the following speakers:

The Honourable Mr. Justice Michael L. Phelan, Federal Court
Lois D. Figg, Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Barbara Jackman, LSM, Jackman & Associates
Betsy Kane, C.S. Capelle Kane Immigration Lawyers Professional Corporation
Joel M. Rubinoff, Legal Advisor, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

For more information, click here.

Case of the Month

In Paramananthan v. Canada, the essential points of the Applicant’s submissions are that it was reasonable that they did not make a refugee claim in Thailand given that the country is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the Board failed to consider the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement when assessing their abandonment of the United States refugee claim in favour of Canada, and finally, that the Board’s finding that they had an Internal Flight Alternative in Colombo was erroneous.

Click here to read more about this case.

Click here to browse our archive of hundreds of Immigration Related Court Decisions by category.

A Tale of Two Tests

Stay tuned for our feature on the two most widely administered English language tests, TOEFL and IELTS, where we evaluate their effectiveness and assess the benefits and costs of both, all in our next publication of Immquest!

Click here to order your copy!

In This Issue:

Frequently Asked Questions

Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Applicant

Q: My cousin is doing his Pre Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) now prior to being deported. He went through the refugee claimant process and he was refused. He came with his mother and little brother to Canada. I have heard that there is little chance to get accepted. My cousin just started an apprenticeship program and he attends to some courses at the college. Can they do something else in order to get the permanent residence? Or at least is there any other way for my cousin to get the permanent residency during the PRRA process?

Click here for Mario D. Bellissimo's answer.

Happy Holidays!

Hundreds of cases and thousands of hours later, we want to thank all our colleagues, clients, staff and fellow stakeholders for working toward the collective good of immigration and for another great year!

As this is our final newsletter for 2010, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy 2011! We wish you all the best in the New Year!