Canada’s immigration rules change often, and the right application depends on your goal, your history and what is open on the day you apply. At Law Wise Professional Corporation, an immigration lawyer in Mississauga reviews your situation, explains the options open to you now, and prepares your application or appeal. The firm is based in Mississauga’s City Centre and acts for immigration clients from Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Milton, Etobicoke and Toronto, across Ontario, and for applicants outside Canada.
Canadian immigration lawyer in Mississauga: what we help with
Each service below has its own page with more detail.
- Express EntrySkilled worker permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs.
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)Nomination by a province or territory, including Ontario’s program.
- Family sponsorshipSponsoring a spouse or partner, dependent children, parents and grandparents.
- Work permitsEmployer-specific and open work permits, with or without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
- LMIA for employersHiring a foreign worker: streams, recruitment, refusal-to-process rules and compliance.
- Study permitsStudy permit applications, extensions and post-graduation work permits.
- Visitor visasTemporary resident visas, and super visas for parents and grandparents.
- Business immigrationOptions for entrepreneurs and business people. These programs open and close, so ask what is available now.
- Canadian citizenshipCitizenship applications and physical presence calculations.
- Refugee protection claimsClaims before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
- Humanitarian and compassionate applicationsRequests for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
- Appeals and judicial reviewThe Immigration Appeal Division, the Refugee Appeal Division and the Federal Court.
- InadmissibilityCriminal, medical and misrepresentation findings, and the ways to respond to them.
Temporary or permanent: start with your goal
Immigration applications fall into two broad groups. Temporary residence lets you visit, study or work in Canada for a limited time. Permanent residence lets you settle here, usually through an economic program, family sponsorship, or the refugee and humanitarian streams. Permanent residents can later apply for citizenship.
Express Entry is the online system that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage applications from skilled workers under three programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates enter a pool, are ranked by points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and are invited to apply in rounds. Provinces and territories can also nominate candidates through a Provincial Nominee Program. Each province sets its own streams, and they change, so check what is open before you plan around one.
Who decides your application
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decides most visa, permit, permanent residence and citizenship applications.
- The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) hears refugee claims and immigration appeals.
- The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) deals with admission at the border and with enforcement.
- The Federal Court can review a decision, but only if it first grants leave (permission).
Time limits after a refusal
An application to the Federal Court for leave and judicial review must generally be filed within 15 days after you learn of the decision if the matter arose in Canada, and within 60 days if it arose outside Canada. This comes from section 72(2)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Appeals to the Immigration Appeal Division and the Refugee Appeal Division have their own, different deadlines. Check the deadline on the day you receive a refusal.
Accuracy matters: misrepresentation
Giving false information, or leaving out a material fact, can make a person inadmissible to Canada for misrepresentation for five years. Tell your lawyer about every earlier application and every refusal, including anything filed for you by an agent or a family member. If you have a criminal charge or conviction, in Canada or abroad, raise it at the start: see inadmissibility and our criminal defence page.
Canadian citizenship
Among other requirements, a permanent resident must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the five years immediately before applying. Our Canadian citizenship page explains how the days are counted and what else is needed.
Why use an immigration lawyer?
IRCC is clear that you do not have to hire a representative, and that using one does not mean your application will be approved. If you do pay someone to advise or represent you, that person must be authorized. Lawyers who are members of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society are authorized representatives. At Law Wise your application is prepared by a lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, who can also act for you if the matter goes to the Immigration and Refugee Board or the Federal Court.
Immigration lawyer vs immigration consultant: what is the difference?
Both immigration lawyers and licensed immigration consultants are authorized representatives under Canada’s immigration law, and either can prepare and submit an application to IRCC for a fee. The differences are in who regulates them, their training, and where they can represent you.
- Regulator and training. A lawyer in Ontario holds a law degree, has completed the licensing process of the Law Society of Ontario, and is regulated by the Law Society, which handles complaints and sets professional conduct rules. An immigration consultant (RCIC) completes a graduate diploma program in immigration and citizenship law and is regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
- Where they can represent you. A consultant can represent you before IRCC, and a consultant with the extra IRB licence class can appear at the Immigration and Refugee Board. Only a lawyer can represent you in the Federal Court, which is where a refused application is challenged by judicial review. If your matter may end up in court, a lawyer can handle it from start to finish without a hand-off.
- Privilege. What you tell your lawyer is protected by solicitor-client privilege, a legal protection that is broader than the confidentiality duty of a consultant.
- Insurance and protection. Ontario lawyers must carry professional liability insurance, and the Law Society maintains a compensation fund for clients. Licensed consultants also carry insurance through their College. Unlicensed “agents” or “ghost consultants” carry none, and using one can lead to a misrepresentation finding against you.
Whoever you choose, check that they are licensed: lawyers on the Law Society of Ontario’s public directory and consultants on the College’s public register. At Law Wise, your application is prepared by a lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, and the same lawyer can act for you at the Immigration and Refugee Board or in the Federal Court if it comes to that.
How a Law Wise immigration lawyer can help you
- ConsultationYour first consultation is free for 15 minutes, by appointment. Bring your documents, including any refusal letters.
- Choosing the routeWe check what is open on the day and which program fits your goal and history.
- Preparing and filingWe prepare the forms, evidence and written submissions, and file the application.
- After filingWe answer requests from the officer and advise you on the decision and any appeal.
Program rules, intake limits and processing times change often. We check the current IRCC instructions on the day we advise you. Treat any web page on immigration, including this one, as a starting point and not as the current rule. Your file is handled by a Law Wise lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. Service is available in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi, and, if you retain the firm, fees are explained and confirmed in writing before work starts.
Common questions about immigrating to Canada
Do I need a lawyer to apply?
No. IRCC publishes its forms and instructions free of charge, and you can apply yourself. People usually hire a lawyer when their history is complicated, when an application has been refused, or when a deadline is running.
What is Express Entry?
It is IRCC’s online system for skilled worker applications under the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You create a profile, receive a points score, and may be invited to apply for permanent residence.
Can I sponsor my family to come to Canada?
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 and able to support the sponsored person may be able to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner and dependent children. Sponsorship of parents and grandparents is limited, and the intake rules change from year to year. See family sponsorship.
My application was refused. What can I do?
It depends on the kind of application and the reasons. The options may include applying again with better evidence, an appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division or the Refugee Appeal Division where the law allows one, or an application to the Federal Court for leave and judicial review. The time limits are short. See appeals and judicial review.
How long will my application take?
IRCC publishes processing times for each kind of application, and they change. Check the IRCC website for the current figure. No lawyer can promise a processing time or a result.
How do I check that a representative is authorized?
A lawyer must be a member in good standing of a provincial or territorial law society. You can look a lawyer up in the Law Society of Ontario’s directory. An immigration consultant must be a member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
Speak with an immigration lawyer in Mississauga
Your first consultation is free for 15 minutes, by appointment. Bring your passport, any letters from IRCC and a list of your earlier applications.
This page is general legal information, current as of 10 October 2026. Immigration programs, fees and processing times change often; confirm them on the IRCC website. This page is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For advice about your situation, please speak with a lawyer.