The table below represents a snapshot of some of Heron Law Offices’ historical success stories, disaggregated by Date, Country, Type of File, Facts, and Outcome. We hope this will give a sense to prospective clients of the type of work and the type of results we can achieve.
Please note that this list was originally organized in a table format before we transitioned to posting individual blog entries. For more recent and detailed success stories, please visit our Success Stories section or use the search bar at the top of the page to look up relevant keywords.
| Date | Country | Type of File | Facts | Outcome |
| 2024-07 | Colombian | JR of Super Visa | We were retained to assist a Colombian citizen in her JR of her super visa refusal, invited by her daughter, a Canadian citizen. The refusal reasons were largely template reasons relating to the purpose of the visit. We provided a strong Applicant’s Record and Memorandum of Argument where we directly addressed the Officer’s use of Chinook reasons while highlighting the significant evidence of a temporal purpose ignored by the Officer. | After re-opening, the Applicant received a new medical request, quickly followed by a passport request. The Applicant did not have to provide any further information following the re-opening of her super visa file. |
| 2024-06 | China | Sponsorship | The Applicant worked without authorization prior to sponsorship and had provided incorrect information on previous applications. | A Chinese citizen applicant and a Canadian citizen spouse retained us to assist with their In-Canada sponsorship application for permanent residence. The case was complex because the applicant had previously made errors on her temporary resident applications arising from a decision to work with an agent on an overseas work permit application. We carefully guided the Applicant to making the needed disclosures and corrections on the sponsorship to ensure that there was no misrepresentation. We also assisted on a temporary resident extension which also needed to be carefully crafted around disclosure and correction. The Applicant obtained her permanent resident in standard time with no issues raised about her previous temporary resident applications. |
| 2024-03 | Vietnam | PNP/SP/PFL | Applicant’s adoptive parent contacted us following receipt of PFL for the overseas adoptive child’s study permit. The officer had concerns about the genuineness of the adoption. Adoptive child included in PNP PR application. | PR application approved following PFL response. |
| 2024-03 | China | Express Entry/Permanent Residence/Judicial Review | Applicant contacted us following a refusal of PR application due to issue with confirmation of work experience and employment letter | Permanent Residence Application Approved – following a judicial review, consent, a second refusal, a judicial review, a third refusal and a successful reconsideration request. Client landed as a PR. |
| 2024-03 | Ghana | Express Entry/Incomplete Application/Re-Application | Applicant contacted us after their PR was sent back due to an IRCC technical issue assigning points. We found they had underestimated their score and helped them re-apply. | Permanent Residence Application Approved |
| 2024-03 | Korea | In-Canada Spousal Sponsorship and Temporary Residence Issues | Applicant had run into issues with a study permit extension. We navigated a strategy around a spousal sponsorship option with his long-time common-law partner. | Sponsorship Application Approved. A Korean citizen and Canadian study permit holder came to find us seeking assistance with his common-law sponsorship application. The Applicant had challenges with his study permit extension that required a specific strategy around timing between the PR application and temporary residence application. We helped navigate around possible inadmissibility |
| 2024-03 | Mexico | In-Canada Spousal Sponsorship for Out of Status Spouse | The Applicant, a Mexican citizen, overstayed and worked without authorization. He was married to an Indigenous Canadian living in the Sponsor’s hometown, in a remote B.C. community. We assisted in navigating and advocating with a culturally informed approach, and needed to explain documentation challenges to IRCC avoid misrepresentation. | Sponsorship Approved. |
| 2024-03 | Iran | Expert Opinion | Provided expert opinion for two Iranian applicants in their judicial review matters. Their counsel hired us to do an expert affidavit to explain Chinook Module 5 | Consent to re-open after judicial review filed. |
| 2024-03 | Iran | Study Permit Outside Canada – Judicial Review | Filed judicial review over study permit refusal on the basis of family ties and purpose of visit. Consent was obtained after leave was granted. | Consent to re-open after judicial review filed. |
| 2024-02 | China | Study Permit Outside Canada – Previous Refusal | Assisted in judicial review of outside Canada refusal and re-opening for a student who had studied in Canada but was refused extension and asked to leave due to academic performance/actively pursuing studies issues. | Study permit approved. |
| 2024-02 | Israel | Express Entry Permanent Residence | Assisted an Applicant who had a complex fact pattern around previous employment history | Express Entry PR Application Approved. |
| 2024-02 | Saudi Arabia | Study Permit Extension – Judicial Review – Actively Pursuing Studies | Applicant was refused a study permit extension for not actively pursuing studies. Went to judicial review and highlighted procedural fairness issues, including IRCC’s choice of process through ATIP notes redacted from Rule 9 reasons. Application was reopened, and assisted with further response to prove active pursuit of studies. | Study permit extension approved. |
| 2024-02 | Cuba | Study Permit Outside Canada | Judicial review of a study permit refusal where IRCC misconstrued evidence | Consent to re-opening |
| 2024-01 | China | Border entry support for previously refused applicant | Applicant was previously refused an extension. Left Canada and we coordinated a strategy around re-entry. restrictions. | Was re-admitted for six months with no restrictions. |
| 2024-01 | China | Study permit re-opening following consent on judicial review | Applicant was previously refused four times. Left Canada and was successful in obtaining a new study permit. | Study permit approved and applicant re-admitted to Canada to complete the program. |
| 2024-01 | India | Express Entry PR application approval following PFL | Applicants came to see us due to PFL issued for a non-accompanying dependent. | Family’s PR application approved following PFL response |
| 2023-11 | India | LMIA work permit approval after previous refusal (no proof of English language ability) | Applicant came to see us after work permit refusal for failing to provide proof of English language. Re-applied with stronger documentary evidence and letters. | Work Permit Application Approved |
| 2023-11 | China | Study Permit Outside Canada | Judicial review of a study permit refusal where IRCC misconstrued evidence | Consent to re-opening |
| 2023-11 | Iran | TRV for students | Applicant came to us after submitting a TRV for students in Canada, self-represented. Application remained in processing for 6 months. Re-application approved in one month. | TRV re-application approved. |
| 2023-11 | Chile | LMIA exempt work permit | The employer came to us for assistance with C20 work permit to hire a coach | Work permit approved |
| 2023-10 | South Africa | Super Visa | Applicant had never traveled to Canada before sought 5 year super visa. | Super visa application approved. |
| 2023-10 | N/A | Positive LMIA | Employer came to us to fill two positions with LMIA application | Positive LMIA |
| 2023-10 | Chile | Refugee Claim | Family claimed fear of persecution based on gender, family, and political opinion. | Refugee claims approved. |
| 2023-09 | Iran | Work permit approval under Temporary measures for Iranian nationals | Applicant came to us for guidance after mistakenly working without authorization due to changes in temporary off-campus study rules. | Work permit application approved. |
| 2023-09 | India | BC PNP Application PFL | Applicant was issued PFL for holding two full-time jobs and not clarifying how this worked with Officer. Through affidavit evidence managed to present cogent facts and gain approval of application. | BC PNP approved. Nominated with support letter. |
| 2023-10 | Jamaica | Judicial Review and Work Permit Re-Application after refusal for lack of establishment | Re-applied for Jamaican worker (LMIA-based) who had been refused for lack of establishment. Submitted stronger documentary evidence after judicial review (consent) | Work Permit Application approved. |
| 2023-12 | China | Judicial Review and TRV | Applicant and spouse approved after judicial review consent. Successfully argued that IRCC had ignored history of file, including UCI for the previously held Canadian TRV. | TRV Application Approved. |
| 2023-10 | China | Reconsideration of PGWP Refusal (Inside Canada) | Applicant was refused PGWP for not being in full-time studies. We assisted in re-applying with further explanations and client was approved | PGWP Application Approved. |
We are very intentional about not posting success rates. We do not operate in success rates, which we find many practitioners often misrepresent these statistics.
We also take the hardest cases and recognize that each matter must be approached on a case-by-case basis, particularly in the context of procedural fairness and immigration litigation matters. We are honest and recognize that for every success story there are also not successful stories, often times for reasons beyond the applicant’s or counsel’s control. We always put up a good fight.
Our team is constantly looking to both positive and negative experiences, as well as data, to inform our approaches to providing ethical and informed legal advice.
