CPD- Case Law, Policy Updates and Refugee Claims

Ron McKay

Ron McKay has been involved professionally in the practice of immigration from 1986 to present. He previously served as a locally-engaged Overseas Immigration Officer and later worked as an Immigration Consultant at the Vancouver based law firm of Clark Wilsons LLP. In the capacity of Immigration Consultant he is presently employed by the CANGO and GUANGSON Immigration Consulting Firms. For the last three years, he has been employed as the Director of Immigration Programs at Ashton College.

Ron McKay is a Past President of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (“CAPIC”) and a Past Chair of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (“ICCRC”). He has previously served on multiple stakeholder committees involving Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, Service Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board and Continuing Legal Education.
In regard to this CPD Seminar – Ron McKay will serve as the emcee/moderator.

Hannah Lindy

Hannah Lindy, BA, JD, is an immigration and refugee lawyer at Larlee Rosenberg in Vancouver. Prior to joining Larlee Rosenberg, Hannah practiced immigration and refugee law in Toronto for several years as an associate lawyer at Waldman & Associates, where she also completed her articles.

Hannah provides services in all areas of immigration, refugee, and citizenship law and regularly represents clients before the Federal Court and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Hannah graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law and has been called to the bar in Ontario and British Columbia. She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the Refugee Lawyers Association of Ontario, and the Canadian Bar Association.

Anita Boscariol

Anita Boscariol is Associate Counsel at Watson Goepel LLP, a law firm located in downtown Vancouver, BC. A former Assistant Deputy Chair of the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board for over ten years, Anita has a depth of immigration law experience. She is a frequent presenter, including for the Canadian Bar Association, the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, and Public Legal Education, as well as at various educational institutions including the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria, Corpus Christi College, and Ashton College. She has recently been published in The Lawyer’s Daily, a resource for legal professionals including those in government departments, academic institutions and research libraries. Anita is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish, enjoys classical music and opera, and is a fitness enthusiast.

Ananth Sundaram

Ananth Sundaram proudly serves as the Director of Operations for Ashton Testing Services. He is passionate about providing a safe and secure exam environment to help students and working professionals meet their career goals. In 2020, he had the honour of being appointed as a board member for the National College Testing Association. This prestigious recognition solidifies his commitment and the commitment of Ashton Testing Services to ensure professional standards and a quality exam experience.

Steven Meurrens

Steven Meurrens is a Vancouver-based Canadian immigration lawyer who advises clients on all Canadian immigration and citizenship issues. He has significant experience representing corporate and individual clients in obtaining visas and permits for many business-related purposes, including, but not limited to, Labour Market Impact Assessments, intracompany transfers, international trade agreements, specialty business visits, and transitioning from temporary to permanent resident under numerous federal economic streams. His corporate clients include businesses engaged in mining, telecommunications, construction, hospitality, and technology start-ups. 

He also has an active practice assisting people who have been denied entry to Canada and to those whom have had visa applications refused as well as had numerous appearances before the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.  

Outside of his practice, Steven is the is a co-host of the Borderlines Podcast, a Canadian immigration law podcast consisting of in-depth interviews with past guests including John McCallum, Chris Alexander, Lorne Sossin, Marshal Rothstein, Robert Tibbo and David Eby. 

Brandon Miller

Brandon Miller is a certified Immigration Consultant and has a passion for it.  

Brandon is the Founder and Managing Director at Maple Immigration Services, based in Toronto. His company, and himself, specializes in helping immigrants come to Canada and help them to become integrated with a great start to a new life. Brandon even has his own book called “Second Passport”, which highlights the benefits in getting a second passport to Canada and calling it a second home. 

Additionally, he has other experiences as a settlement counsellor, regulatory body volunteer, and a local college teacher who enjoys teaching and mentoring newly immigrated students.

Mario Bellissimo

Mario Bellissimo is a proud graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School. He currently works as a Certified Specialist in Citizenship and Immigration Law and Refugee Protection. He is the founder of Bellissimo Law Group PC, where he works as the principal lawyer with a practice focus on citizenship, immigration and protected person litigation and inadmissibility law. He has appeared before all levels of immigration tribunals and courts including the Supreme Court of Canada. He is also the past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association National Immigration Law Section and serves on multiple stakeholder committees involving the federal court, Canada Border Services Agency, Service Canada, Department of Justice and the Immigration and Refugee Board.