Question:
I am going to apply for Canadaian
Permanent Residence under Independent
category. To make the process as
fast and easy as possible, I want
to hire an immigration. I've contacted
a few law firms, which specialize
in immigration. One of them is called
"Green & Spiegel". Now, my questions
are: 1. Has anybody heard about
"Green & Spiegel law firm and what
is their reputation? 2. Can anybody
recommend a good law firm in Canada
or source of information on this
subject? What will be a reasonable
fee for a reputable law firm?
Answer:
For all those considering using
an immigration lawyer, unless you
are in "Special Circumstances",
Ie cant pass the medical, criminal
problems in past, etc. An Immigration
lawyer may not always speed things
up. In fact , the lawyer(s) may
slow things down.
Remember they
charge by the hour. If you get the
book "Immigrating to Canada" by
Gary Segal and "Canadian CItizenship
Made Simple" by Joe Serge, you should
have enough info to successfully
immigrate as an "independent". I
applied in December 28 , had interview
in mid february , medical in May
and had the P/R visa in late July
. All without the need for an attorney.
But , your circumstances may be
different.
I just want
to point out that an immigration
lawyer is not necessary. However
if you are "special circumstances"
you would be wise to consult an
attorney at least for a consultation.
But, as always, your mileage may
vary. 1. The law firm noted above
is well-known in the Ontario region.
We are not authorized to comment
on reputation. We may suggest that
you contact the Upper Law Society
in the Province of Ontario, for
any additional information. 2. We
are not sure what is meant by your
second question. There are no centralized
lists in Canada regarding the reputation
of individual law firms. Each Province
controls the legal profession within
their territory. There is no national
jurisdiction to license attorneys
in Canada. 3. You may wish to consider
whether you require an immigration
lawyer.
Thereafter,
in view of the total non refundable
fees in applying for Canadian permanent
residence status, you may at the
very least consider obtaining a
consultation from a Canadian immigration
lawyer in order to obtain legal
advice regarding your particular
application.
The hourly
rate will vary by Province and by
law office, but generally the hourly
rate will be between $US 100-200.
A consultation should not normally
exceed two billable hours. The consultation
may provide you with a 'map' of
'what happens next' in your application
process. Canadian immigration lawyers
do not make the application process
go 'faster'. Submitting accurate
and complete information is your
best bet to the shortest processing
period.
Sometimes
immigration lawyers are a necessary
addition to one's immigration process,
such as the case where the applicant
is applying as a 'business immigrant',
or where there may be questions
of inadmissibility (medical/criminal),
or where there are unusual circumstances.
The $7000 fee may well be justified
depending on the circumstances of
the particular file.
