Immigration

Bringing foreign workers into Canada or the U.S. can be a daunting task, fraught with confusing immigration processes and regulatory obligations. We remove the stress from these situations by giving you practical guidance on the immigration options that best suit your needs, and addressing any challenges you may face before they arise.

Canadian Immigration

Whether you’re planning to transfer a single executive to Canada or establish a new branch office, our team can guide you through the process of obtaining business visitor status, work permits, temporary resident visas, study permits, permanent resident status or citizenship for your prospective employees.

But we don’t just stop at helping you bring workers into Canada. We work closely with our labour and employment lawyers to ensure that you’re aware of—and compliant with—your legal obligations regarding temporary foreign workers, including the rules regarding terminations and layoffs. We also work with our corporate and tax lawyers to give you strategic advice on expanding into Canada or acquiring Canadian businesses that employ foreign workers.

We’ll make sure you know how to proceed in the event of a federal immigration audit, and we’ll represent you in the event of compliance reviews or regulatory enforcement proceedings.

U.S. Immigration

We also offer U.S. immigration services if you’re planning to send employees to the U.S. Whether your employee is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a temporary resident, we can advise you on any business visitor statuses applicable to him or her and help you get the temporary and permanent visas needed to enter and work in the U.S.

We also help qualifying Indigenous Canadians obtain U.S. permanent residency, allowing them to live and work in the States indefinitely. And, if there are ever concerns about any of your employees potentially being denied entry to the U.S., we will raise this with you well in advance, allowing you to avoid unwelcome surprises at the border.

The MLT Aikins immigration team has the breadth of experience and expertise to help you achieve your cross-border business goals and set you up for continued success.

• Successfully prepared a range of Canadian immigration applications for individuals and corporations (Labour Market Impact Assessments, Work Permits, Visitor Visas, Temporary Resident Permits, Permanent Residency, Express Entry, Provincial Nominations, Citizenship, Applications for Criminal Rehabilitation, and Restoration).
• Successfully prepared a range of U.S. immigration applications for individuals and corporations (L-1A and L-1B petitions, E visas, B-1 status, TN applications and Waivers).
• Represented employers, consultants and individuals in various Canadian immigration enforcement proceedings and compliance reviews.
• Proactive advised employers on immigration compliance and policy development.

We provide advice and services in the following areas of North American labour mobility and compliance:

Canadian Immigration

• Federal work permit applications for high-skilled and low-skilled labour, including International Mobility Programs (IMP), NAFTA, the CPTPP and other Free Trade Agreements
• Work permit extension and change of condition applications
• Business visitor visas
• Canadian federal permanent residency applications through the Express Entry System, including Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Trade Worker Program (FTWP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applications of all types with a specific focus on the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) and the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
• Foreign worker employment contracts and employment issues
• Third-party recruitment contract advising
• Immigration compliance and enforcement advising on all levels, including Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and provincial programs
• Federal and provincial immigration pilot programs
• Foreign worker trade certification
• Spousal sponsorship applications
• Study permit applications
• Foreign worker refusals and removals from Canada
• Temporary Resident Permits and Applications for Criminal Rehabilitation

U.S. Immigration

• B-1 entry for business visitors entering to work in the U.S.
• L-1A and L-1B petitions for employers transferring employees to the U.S.
• TN applications for Canadian and Mexican professionals seeking to work in the U.S.
• E visas for treaty traders and investors
• Obtaining U.S. permanent residency for multinational executives and managers, professionals and skilled workers
• Obtaining U.S. non-immigrant visas and permanent residency for spouses and fiancees
• Obtaining U.S. permanent residency for qualifying Indigenous Canadians
• Waivers for individuals with past criminal records or U.S. immigration violations