Did I get a bad lawyer?

[Dr_Midnite]

I noticed before posting my reply. The service is never free, the company will adjust the cost somehow (raise/salary/promotion etc.). Even if it was free, the applicant paid a price due to the delays and errors made by the lawyer.

The lawyer should be reported regardless but you are right in saying that the OP should focus on fixing the damage first.

Hi

If you noticed then why ignore it?

If a company invests in an employee why would they restrict any future raise, promotion etc. This will only lead to an employee leaving the company at some point when PR is granted. As a result they will never see the return on the investment.

I can assure you in my case it’s free, agreed I am one of the lucky ones but I am tired of this forum bashing people who take the option of using legal representation.

Thx

A

 

[sandeepxyz]

Hi

If you noticed then why ignore it?

If a company invests in an employee why would they restrict any future raise, promotion etc. This will only lead to an employee leaving the company at some point when PR is granted. As a result they will never see the return on the investment.

I can assure you in my case it's free, agreed I am one of the lucky ones but I am tired of this forum bashing people who take the option of using legal representation.

Thx

A

I did not ignore it. When hearing stories such as this, the immediate reaction is to cringe. If nothing else, its a form of sympathy ("oh how could you do this...it hurts me to hear this"). I posted a question not long ago and someone said that he was unable to digest my delay in applying. I don't see it as a bad thing, to me it implies that someone who is a complete stranger is able to share my pain. When people settle down after their initial surprise, they start offering advice.

I think people bash legal representation because of how notorious the Canadian Immigration Industry is. How many times have you seen an average canadian immigration lawyer react emotionally by saying "oh how could you have done this!"? In my experience (strictly my experience), they allow enough room for mistakes so they can charge more to correct the mistakes. Most don't understand your pain and do not have foresight to help you avoid future pitfalls that could arise out of your current situation.

About this:
This will only lead to an employee leaving the company at some point when PR is granted.

Exactly this risk is factored in while they pay for immigration. Sometimes it can be a self fulfilling prophecy. I.e. the company is so cautious that the employee ends up leaving. You are indeed lucky if your company cared enough to find you a good lawyer.

 

[yixiaop26]

I am working in Alberta for 2 years now and my employer is supporting me to apply to PR through an immigration lawyer (representative). The company covers the cost (at least $11,000 of legal fee) 8) Yeah!! I took it because it's free and it sounded reassuring to have a professional immigration representative looking after my case, BUT then these are what happened:

- My first contact by that lawyer was about 1.5 years ago, back then he wanted me to apply through Alberta's provincial nominee program (the AINP), taking my wife (international worker has work permit until 2016) as a depedant. While I am working as an engineer which qualify me through CEC stream, my work permit expires 1.5 years after then.

- I filled out my AINP application forms by August 2013, but he wanted all supporting documents from me and my wife (such as police certificates, birth cerificates and ...) which are NOT REQUIRED to obtain my AINP approval.

- After about 0.5 years of delay, he submitted my AINP application. My work permit expires 1 years after then.

- The AINP program, as some of you would know, got sh!tter and sh!tter in 2014. Now it takes 15-18 months to process my application on nomination only.

- After 8 months into 2014, he wanted to withdraw my AINP application and re-apply to CEC stream, taking my wife as a depedant. My work permit expires 4 months after then.

- In my CEC application, I took the IELTs test and got positive results by the end of August. Sent all required documents in early September to his law firm.

- After 1 month of delay, no filing my CEC application yet. My work permit expires 3 months after then. I complained to my company's HR department and the lawyer finally mailed my CEC application to CIC.

- in my CEC application, his paralegal wrote my CLIEND ID wrong and my IELTs score wrong on his law firm's letterhead accompanying the application. Unfortunately I didn't have the energy to pick up these errors after I found in the forms they wrote my address wrong and my wife's past work location wrong.

- I found that I can extend my work permit to 2016 because my wife has a work permit expires in 2016. He had copies of our work permits all these time; I had to tell him that extending my WP through my wife's WP IS AN OPTION.

- I sent all required documents to extend my work permit in the beginning of October to his law firm; my work permit expires 2 months after then.

- My work permit expires 1 months from now (November), today, when I ask for the updates on my extension, HE HAS NOT APPLIED TO EXTEND MY WORK PERMIT.

- Throughout this 1.5 year he asked me to re-do mine and my wifes police certificates 3 times, coz for each delay in submitting my application, it leads the expiration of validaty of my original police certificates.

WOW

Comments?

sue the lawyer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

prepare file by yourself now if your boss agree with it . explain him about this horrible lawyer. let's your company stop business with this sh********t.

 

[canadacec123]

I did not ignore it. When hearing stories such as this, the immediate reaction is to cringe. If nothing else, its a form of sympathy ("oh how could you do this...it hurts me to hear this"). I posted a question not long ago and someone said that he was unable to digest my delay in applying. I don't see it as a bad thing, to me it implies that someone who is a complete stranger is able to share my pain. When people settle down after their initial surprise, they start offering advice.

I think people bash legal representation because of how notorious the Canadian Immigration Industry is. How many times have you seen an average canadian immigration lawyer react emotionally by saying "oh how could you have done this!"? In my experience (strictly my experience), they allow enough room for mistakes so they can charge more to correct the mistakes. Most don't understand your pain and do not have foresight to help you avoid future pitfalls that could arise out of your current situation.

About this:
This will only lead to an employee leaving the company at some point when PR is granted.

Exactly this risk is factored in while they pay for immigration. Sometimes it can be a self fulfilling prophecy. I.e. the company is so cautious that the employee ends up leaving. You are indeed lucky if your company cared enough to find you a good lawyer.

LOL...that was me for you...and glad to see you read in the same way I wrote...

 

[lau2014]

If this lawyer is a registered immigration consultant there are avenues to pursue whereby they are reported. In many cases the work is handed to a junior team member and only reviewed by the senior lawyer.


[/quote]


which avenue? my immigration consultant screw up everything, and now I'm out of Canada because of his negligence. I filled a complaint twice through the web site
http://iccrc-crcic.ca/AboutUs/public/complaintsDiscipline.cfm
but nobody answered me.

He helped a lot of immigrants like me and my husband so I think in my case the problem was that he handed my documents to a junior team member and he realized that immgration had refused our visa extensions three months after the expiration date.

what can we do now? he offered us to pay the new CEC application, but honestly I don't think is enough!!!!

 

[sandeepxyz]

my immigration consultant screw up everything, and now I'm out of Canada because of his negligence. I filled a complaint twice through the web site
but nobody answered me.

IMHO the ICCRC system is designed to protect itself. In response to the government it is offering a lip service to address complaints. Can you file a complaint in writing to the court of the jurisdiction in which he operates?

 

[sandeepxyz]

LOL...that was me for you...and glad to see you read in the same way I wrote...

Of course...it means something to me that you notice a detail that lawyers (often with 8 years of training) miss or ignore.

 

[yixiaop26]

If this lawyer is a registered immigration consultant there are avenues to pursue whereby they are reported. In many cases the work is handed to a junior team member and only reviewed by the senior lawyer.





which avenue? my immigration consultant screw up everything, and now I'm out of Canada because of his negligence. I filled a complaint twice through the web site
http://iccrc-crcic.ca/AboutUs/public/complaintsDiscipline.cfm
but nobody answered me.

He helped a lot of immigrants like me and my husband so I think in my case the problem was that he handed my documents to a junior team member and he realized that immgration had refused our visa extensions three months after the expiration date.

what can we do now? he offered us to pay the new CEC application, but honestly I don't think is enough!!!!

I think the most important thing is you should prepare your CEC firstly.

if that part bring trouble , even you punished the lawyer as you want , you would regret .

so hold a while , of course you should definitely sue the lawyer ,but not at this moment.

 

[lau2014]

IMHO the ICCRC system is designed to protect itself. In response to the government it is offering a lip service to address complaints. Can you file a complaint in writing to the court of the jurisdiction in which he operates?

Can I do it from outside canada? Do I need a lawyer? I've wasted so much money because of this issue.... and I don't trust them anymore

 

[sandeepxyz]

Can I do it from outside canada? Do I need a lawyer? I've wasted so much money because of this issue.... and I don't trust them anymore

First of all, there is generally a time window within which you can complain to the court or bar. You should start the process ASAP if you want justice. The previous poster is correct that your focus should be CEC. But it is also important to have documented proof that you had bad counsel and that your representative made mistakes, not you.

The non-expert advice I've come across on some forums (check reddit complaints or immigrationCanada for example) is that you should make an affidavit in your country and file a police report to document the sequence of events. After that you can focus on your CEC.

 

[maniac2403]

It's still not too late. Since you already have your IELTS scores ready, apply for CEC ASAP.

 

[lau2014]

First of all, there is generally a time window within which you can complain to the court or bar. You should start the process ASAP if you want justice. The previous poster is correct that your focus should be CEC. ---- my CEC is already on its way, actually I'm wating for the AOR. But it is also important to have documented proof that you had bad counsel and that your representative made mistakes, not you. ---On febrary 2014 he wrote me an email telling me that everything was fine and he didn't have any update and the CIC refusal was dated December 2013!!!!! that seems to me enough.

The non-expert advice I've come across on some forums (check reddit complaints or immigrationCanada for example) is that you should make an affidavit in your country and file a police report to document the sequence of events. --- I'm not in my country right now and I'm not planning to go back, can I do tha affidavit through the Ambassy/Consulate? it seems everything is so difficult After that you can focus on your CEC.

 

[sandeepxyz]

On febrary 2014 he wrote me an email telling me that everything was fine and he didn't have any update and the CIC refusal was dated December 2013!!!!! that seems to me enough.

I'm not in my country right now and I'm not planning to go back, can I do tha affidavit through the Ambassy/Consulate? it seems everything is so difficult

Yes you can take that copy of the email. The affidavit can be in any country, as long as it is prepared correctly (usually a signature in front of an authorized person who has a stamp). Detail everything with dates. There are some threads in reddit immigrationCanada that offer suggestions on who to write a letter to (search for a thread by hpka in /r/immigrationCanada, it has some links). I am myself planning to file a complain about my lawyer after he gives me the final invoice.

 

[lau2014]

Yes you can take that copy of the email. The affidavit can be in any country, as long as it is prepared correctly (usually a signature in front of an authorized person who has a stamp). Detail everything with dates. There are some threads in reddit immigrationCanada that offer suggestions on who to write a letter to (search for a thread by hpka in /r/immigrationCanada, it has some links). I am myself planning to file a complain about my lawyer after he gives me the final invoice.

ok thanks I'll take a look

 

[arowberry]

Yes you can take that copy of the email. The affidavit can be in any country, as long as it is prepared correctly (usually a signature in front of an authorized person who has a stamp). Detail everything with dates. There are some threads in reddit immigrationCanada that offer suggestions on who to write a letter to (search for a thread by hpka in /r/immigrationCanada, it has some links). I am myself planning to file a complain about my lawyer after he gives me the final invoice.

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, this post just appeared there:
http://www.reddit.com/r/ImmigrationCanada/comments/2lzaob/correct_way_to_report_crooked_immigration/