ImmLight of All Circumstances (ImmLight) is a podcast and digital media platform aimed at humanizing Canadian immigration and refugee law through storytelling and the sharing of lived experiences. Our aim is to create a space for immigration and refugee law discussion that is accessible and relatable to migrants and to the everyday person. Join us as we shine light on news and policy updates and bring to light the untold stories of Canada’s migrant communities. We hope that you will become a part of our conversations and our journey.
This is a special Canadian elections episode where we talk to Brooks Arcand-Paul, a nehiyaw napew (Cree) from kipohtakaw (Alexander First Nation) in Treaty 6 territory, on where indigenous and immigration issues overlap; Professor R. Cassandra Lord, a University of Toronto professor on her recent spousal sponsorship experience and how it will be influencing her vote; and with Andrew Griffith, former Director General, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration on party #cdnimm platforms.
Links:
Andrew Griffith's Blog: https://multiculturalmeanderings.com/ (https://multiculturalmeanderings.com/)
Elections Canada on How to Vote: https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=vote&document=index&lang=e (https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=vote&document=index&lang=e)
Dr. R. Cassandra Lord's UofT Profile: https://wgsi.utoronto.ca/person/lord-cassandra/ (https://wgsi.utoronto.ca/person/lord-cassandra/)
Brooks Arcand-Paul's Article on Indigenous Law: https://nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/law/rule-of-law/2021/indigenous-laws-a-critical-part-of-canada-s-legal (https://nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/law/rule-of-law/2021/indigenous-laws-a-critical-part-of-canada-s-legal)
8 Sept 2021
Trying to Catch the Chinook with Zeynab Ziaie
This Immlight episode features Zeynab Ziaie, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer who is deep in the trenches of temporary resident applications. She focuses on study permit refusals. In this episode, Will, Lou, and Zeynab talk about Chinook, a system that is slowly being unveiled to the public through various affidavits that Canada's Department of Justice has been introducing to various judicial review applications that deal with temporary resident applications. For the longest time, we have had our thoughts and ideas on how Canada's immigration department had dealt with temporary resident applications. Now as the picture becomes clearer, Zeynab and the hosts try to unpack the implications of such a system, rudimentary as it is. Does it respect the fundamental principles of administrative law in Canada? Does it promote transparency and the intelligibility of decision-making? Find out more in this episode.
8 Sept 2021
From China to the Maritimes - Debunking Chinese Immigration/Immigrant Myths with Lu Xu
In this episode, Will and Lou speak to Lu Xu in order to break the traditional myths of Chinese immigration and immigration stereotypes surrounding the Chinese-Canadian community.
19 Aug 2021
Special Afghanistan Episode
In this episode, Will and Lou speak to two individuals who have particular vantage points in the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. They speak to Waheeda Ekhlas Smith, the head of a Group of Five Sponsorship (G5) Sponsorship group and talk about the pain points encountered in the process that are only exacerbated by the current tragedy. Next, they speak to Hadia Samim, an astute advocate who works in human rights and development.
Some resources regarding Afghanistan:
A Modern History Of Afghanistan And The Taliban by Scott Tong, 17 August 2021, Available at: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/08/17/afghanistan-taliban-history (https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/08/17/afghanistan-taliban-history)
DW News: Explained: Who are the Taliban?, 16 August 2021, Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/explained-who-are-the-taliban/a-58880650 (https://www.dw.com/en/explained-who-are-the-taliban/a-58880650)
19 Aug 2021
Fireside Chat with International Student Advisors (Part 2)
This is part two of a series. In this episode, Will and Lou speak to two amazing international student advisors, Mayoori Malankov (York University) and Ravneet Panech (University of Calgary). Mayoori is an immigration lawyer and Ravneet is licensed immigration consultant. As you will hear, both of them are immersed in the issues facing international students in Canada. Our hosts speak to Ravneet and Mayoori about the current challenges faced by international students in their Canadian journey.
30 Jul 2021
Fireside Chat with International Student Advisors (Part 1)
This is part one of a two-part series. In this episode, Will and Lou speak to two amazing international student advisors, Mayoori Malankov (York University) and Ravneet Panech (University of Calgary). Mayoori is an immigration lawyer and Ravneet is licensed immigration consultant. As you will hear, both of them are immersed in the issues facing international students in Canada. Our hosts speak to Ravneet and Mayoori about the current challenges faced by international students in their Canadian journey.
8 Jun 2021
Debrief on the TR to PR Pathway
In this episode, Will and LJ conduct a post-launch analysis of the TR to PR pathway. They talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of a rushed program. Here are some links that Will and LJ talk about:
TR to PR Pathway
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway.html (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway.html)
Toronto Star Article https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/06/06/canada-trumpeted-its-special-one-time-immigration-program-for-international-grads-and-essential-workers-but-did-it-work-in-the-end.html (https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/06/06/canada-trumpeted-its-special-one-time-immigration-program-for-international-grads-and-essential-workers-but-did-it-work-in-the-end.html)
4 Jun 2021
A National Tragedy
This is an episode like no other. Will and LJ process the recent events involving the discovery of victims of cultural erasure, genocide, and white supremacy.
27 May 2021
A Comparative Glance on Immigration Infrastrures with Dr. Fiona Seiger
In this episode, Will is away so Lou sits down Dr. Fiona Katharina Seiger, a researcher at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The aim in this episode is to take a few steps back from Canadian immigration and see the bigger global picture of human movement by looking at immigration infrastructures and how they impact transitions, hybrid identities, and human movement. We talk to Dr. Seiger about these issue from a global sociological lens. Infrastructures are defined more broadly here, to capture all tools and implements that the various actors in the world of human migration employ to move from one place to another in the age of a technological revolution and diffusion of information. Dr. Seiger is the host of the Migration Podcast, which is a digital platform for migration scholars from all over the world. Head on over to their website to find out more: https://www.imiscoe.org/news-and-blog/podcast (https://www.imiscoe.org/news-and-blog/podcast)
3 May 2021
Unboxing IRCC's New Portal for TRVs and Study Permits
In this episode, Lou and Will 'unbox' the new Temporary Resident Visa and Study Permit portal, finding potential issues where applicants can make innocent mistakes, pain points, etc. They highlight the bigger implications of the government's move to a new portal system. What does this all mean in the age of machine-learning, and what does it all mean from a client-experience perspective. Lastly, they provide their top pros and cons for the new system.
To watch the video where we walk through the portal, please visit: https://youtu.be/4aSsarTc0WE (https://youtu.be/4aSsarTc0WE)
To access the new portal, please visit: https://www.cic.gc.ca/visit-visiter/en/instructions-ircc-portal (https://www.cic.gc.ca/visit-visiter/en/instructions-ircc-portal)
1 May 2021
Special Episode on Managing Transitions
Will and Lou were recently invited to speak to our friends over at IRCC where they were able to talk about the idea of transitions and the host of issues that these bring about. Transitioning between different types of status while in Canada can be tricky. In this episode, Will talks about the situation of international students while Lou tackles some of the issues that caregivers face. In the end, the ImmLight hosts offer their policy takes by offering a reading of what they call the four "un's" - unproductive policies, under-appreciated realitlies, unintended consequences, and unacknowledged restraints.
22 Apr 2021
Update on the New Permanent Residence Pathways
In this special episode, Will Tao and Lou Dangzalan discuss important updates relating to the new permanent residence pathways that were announced on April 14, 2021.
15 Apr 2021
Mark Holthe - From an Alberta Farm to Immigration's Leading Changemaker
In this episode, Lou and Will interview Mark Holthe, founder of Holthe Immigration Law, and learn about his personal story in becoming an immigration lawyer. They also discuss IRCC's recently announced pathways for international students, essential workers, and the implications to Canada's immigration programs overall. Mark discusses CBA-IRCC relations, discussing immigration policy, the technology-enabled solutions for immigration law practitioners, IRCC, and applicants themselves. Somehow, Lou and Will keep talking about food during the LightImm Round - no difference in this episode. Mark also talks about his least favourite Phys.Ed. activity. Finally, Lou shares his take with today's tendency towards self-representing DIY'ers (do-it-yourself) and how immigration professionals such as lawyers must adapt to a new paradigm of practising law.
9 Apr 2021
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
In a very special ImmLight episode, we introduce our respective newest law firm members, Angela Harris at Heron Law and Andrew Koltun at LJD Law. We talk about their individual paths in their immigration careers and we then shift gears with an expanded LightImm Round.
2 Apr 2021
Framing Immigration Stories, Hybridity, Filipino Cuisine, and Curling with Racialized Journalists
In this episode, LJ and Will dive into immigration storytelling. ImmLight guest Johna Baylon, a freelance journalist whose stories appear in New Canadian Media, the Toronto Star, among others, shares her background and her vantage point of hybridity that offers her a unique way of narrating immigration stories.
The three then discuss Filipino/a/x-Canadians and that diasporic community's visibility (or lack thereof) in Canada's cultural mosaic.
Guest Johna Baylon joins Lou Janssen Dangzalan and Will Tao for this week’s LightImm Round. Questions are: 1) What is your favourite Filipino dish?; 2) What are the pros/cons of living outside permanently/semi-permanently your country of citizenship; and 3) Who would be on your racialized Canadian journalist curling team?
31 Mar 2021
Introduction to ImmLight: Study Permit Approvals/Refusals and Data Drop Dork-Out
This is the pilot episode of ImmLight of All Circumstances (ImmLight), a podcast and digital media platform aimed at humanizing Canadian immigration and refugee law through storytelling.
In this episode, we introduce ourselves and talk about our motivations and our intentions in this new immigration podcast.
Lou and Will wear their immigration law nerd hats proudly. They go through data on study permit approvals and refusals obtained through an Access to Information Request and discuss the patterns, trends and possible implications of these numbers.
Finally, Will and Lou try to quiz each other. We can't wait for them to play this game with their guests!
For copies of the stats referred to in the podcast, please visit: https://ljd-law.ca/post/103/shining-light-on-study-permit-approvals-and-refusals-the-immlight-pilot (https://ljd-law.ca/post/103/shining-light-on-study-permit-approvals-and-refusals-the-immlight-pilot)
31 Mar 2021
Immigration Policy, Sponsorships and Family Reunification
In this Episode, IMMLight hosts Lou Dangzalan and Will Tao interview Mohammed Majid. Majid has a pending spousal sponsorship and is stuck in processing limbo, waiting for IRCC to complete the evaluation and disposition of his application to sponsor his wife and son. Majid talks about the ups and downs, the emotional and mental health roller coaster that is Canada's Family Class sponsorships.
Lou Dangzalan and Will Tao talk about immigration policy, family class applications, sponsorships, and how it all impacts lives. They underscore the incontrovertible truth that despite the systemic view that the government has to take, there are human lives that are impacted in meaningful and possibly disastrous ways.
Finally, Mohammed Majid, Lou Dangzalan, Will Tao ask each other questions relating to life in Canada, with a healthy dose of nostalgia. Will Tao closes this episode with a powerful message and a call to action for our friends at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
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