Humanitarian and Compassionate Processing – Overviews and Updates 

John Edwards has been a licensed immigration consultant since 2006 and is currently a member in good standing with the College of Immigration & Citizenship Consultants (CICC). He holds a BSc from the University of Guelph and worked in the environmental sciences field for approximately 10 years. He also taught English in South America and Asia prior to entering the immigration consulting profession.

Mr. Edwards is proud to have had the privilege of working alongside and under the guidance of Cecil L. Rotenberg, Q.C. (deceased), known as the "grandfather" or "dean" of Canadian immigration law, where he gained valuable experience in dealing with complex immigration matters.

In addition to being a licensed immigration consultant, Mr. Edwards is a licensed paralegal and a member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. His representation includes clients in both temporary resident classes and permanent residence applications. Over the years, he has successfully represented clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board at the Immigration Division, the Refugee Protection Division, and the Immigration Appeal Division. Currently, Mr. Edwards focuses on assisting clients with Humanitarian and Compassionate applications, immigration appeals, and with in-Canada and overseas applicants dealing with inadmissibility issues. He also enjoys teaching and has taught immigration consultancy students at two private colleges in Toronto, as well as paralegal diploma courses at a private college in Hamilton, Ontario. 

Cross Border Issues – Overview and Updates

Spencer McGrath-Agg is an experienced attorney helping clients with business and family immigration. He has worked with entrepreneurs to obtain U.S. work authorization for themselves and their employees in industries ranging from mineral exploration to film and entertainment. He has also guided engineers, executives, software developers, veterinarians, management consultants, performing artists, and other professionals through the immigration process to obtain United States work authorization.

Spencer has a proven track record of effectively responding to U.S. immigration agencies’ denials and requests for evidence alleging fraud, criminality, and immigration violations. Additionally, he has successfully assisted with long-pending immigration applications using tools such as expedite requests, inquiries through the USCIS Ombudsman, and requests for congressional assistance.

At U.S. ports of entry, Spencer has helped clients overcome inadmissibility, Nexus denials, and mitigating fines issued by the Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Office. He has counselled permanent residents with long absences from the United States on reducing the likelihood of abandoning their permanent residence, and obtaining re-entry permits. 

Special Measures – Overviews and Updates

Mahsa immigrated to Canada at the age of 16 from Iran. She holds a BA degree in Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women Studies from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. She also completed her Immigration Consultant Diploma in March 2020 from Ashton College in downtown Vancouver. She started her own immigration business in January 2021 after successfully passing her Entry to Practice Exam. Mahsa established “Mehrvarz Immigration” with the goal of assisting people who want to immigrate to Canada for a better life and career opportunities. Mahsa provides services in many areas of immigration, refugee, and citizenship and she has been representing clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada for the past two years. Mahsa has been a tutor/mentor for the past 10 years and she is excited to curate her passion for teaching and affinity for immigration. 

Special Measures – Overviews and Updates

Sonia Sekhon is a licensed Canadian Barrister and Solicitor in the Province of Ontario and the founding principal of The Legal Café, a boutique law firm based in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Sonia completed her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) with Honours at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. During her time abroad, she gained invaluable international legal experience working with private law firms in Brisbane as well as with the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

Sonia’s dedication to immigration advocacy led her to earn an Immigration Consultant Diploma with Honours in 2019 and subsequently obtaining a secondary licence in 2022 through the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), reflecting her commitment to comprehensive immigration representation.

Throughout her legal career, Sonia has worked in several practice areas, including Immigration Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, and Administrative Law. Sonia’s passion for helping individuals and families build better futures led her to focus her practice primarily on Canadian Immigration Law.

In addition to her legal work, Sonia serves as a co-founder and chairwoman of a Niagara Falls based not-for-profit organization dedicated to cultural engagement and community development.