In the wake of recent changes to the refugee determination process, this webinar in the Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) series looks at the first step in making a refugee claim, the new Basis of Claim (BOC) form, introduced in December 2012. METRAC’s Legal Director Tamar Witelson is joined by lawyer and former Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator Sudabeh Mashkuri, to talk about how an adjudicator will consider information in the BOC form, and some issues relevant to women exposed to violence who are making a refugee claim.

This webinar in the Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) series discusses the different types of immigration status for non-citizen women in Canada and how status may be affected by their partner and the breakdown of their relationship. It explains the April 2017 changes in immigration law, specifically the removal of conditional permanent residence for sponsored spouses/partners and what this means for women who want to leave an abusive relationship. The webinar will also discuss legal options and tips for staying safe. METRAC’s Program Lawyer, Silmy Abdullah, will co-present with Immigration lawyer, Caitlin Maxwell of Equity Legal and the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic.

Women who don’t have legal immigration status in Canada may have a close relationship with a child in Canada; and/or they are affected by violence, either in Canada or in their country of origin. These situations make an application for permanent residence based on Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) grounds an option. This webinar will discuss the basic elements of an H&C application, from the perspective of a woman applicant. This is a new webinar in the Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) series, presented by Tamar Witelson, METRAC’s Legal Director, and Roxana Parsa, METRAC’s Program Lawyer.

Misrepresenting” or providing false information in immigration applications can have serious consequences, including removal from Canada. This webinar discusses what “misrepresentation” means under Canada’s immigration law and how it can affect immigrant women facing violence and abuse. It also gives practical tips on how women can protect themselves and their immigration status if there they are being investigated by the government for misrepresentation. This webinar is part of the Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) series, co-presented by METRAC’s Legal Director, Roxana Parsa, and Silmy Abdullah, a staff lawyer from South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO).

Immigration law can be very complicated and it is sometimes hard to figure out what rights women have while living with precarious status. This webinar will go through some of the most common myths and misconceptions about immigration law and help you establish accurate and up-to-date information. You will leave better equipped to work with women navigating the immigration and refugee system.

This webinar is part of the Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) series, co-presented by Roxana Parsa, Program Lawyer at METRAC and Emma McAuliffe, Refugee Lawyer

This webinar will address:

Human Trafficking: Introduction

• What is Human Trafficking
• The Reality in Canada
• Legal Framework

Trafficked people and immigration status

• Options and challenges under Immigration Law
  1. Open work permit for vulnerable workers
  2. Temporary resident permit (TRP) for victims of trafficking in persons (VTIP TRP)
  3. Refugee claim
  4. Humanitarian and Compassionate Application (H&C)

Important resources

This webinar is part of the Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) series, co-presented by Andrea Collins-Fitzpatrick, Legal Director, METRAC: Action on Violence and guest presenter, Immigration Lawyer, Silmy Abdullah