Categories > Legal
The 6 Best Immigration Lawyers in Toronto
- Michael Battista - Battista Migration Law Group
- Lev Abramovich - Abramovich & Tchern Immigration Lawyers
- Mario D. Bellissimo - Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC
- Jacqueline Lewis - Lewis & Associates LLP
- Matthew Jeffery - Law Office of Matthew Jeffery
- Jane Katkova - Jane Katkova & Associates Immigration Consultant
- FAQ about Immigration Lawyers
It’s a well-known fact that Canada openly welcomes immigrants from different nationalities and backgrounds. Plus, it has a well-regulated immigration process that isn’t too difficult—but, well, it can be if you’re unaware of the rules and documents you must provide.
So, hiring an immigration lawyer is a wise decision since they’ll guide you through the intricate web of the application process. Moving to Canada shouldn’t be too hard with their guidance, whether you need a work visa, family sponsorship, or a refugee claim!
Check out our trusted immigration lawyers who will protect your dream of moving to the Great White North.
1. Michael Battista – Battista Migration Law Group
Practice Areas: Family Sponsorship and Sponsorship Appeals, Corporate Immigration, Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications, Refugee and Asylum Claims, Etc.
Website: https://www.migrationlawgroup.com/
Address: 160 Bloor St E Suite 1000, Toronto, ON M4W 1B9
Contact Details: (416) 203-2899, [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Google reviews score | 5/5 |
Total reviews | 4/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Qualifications | 5/5 |
Approach | 5/5 |
Professionalism | 5/5 |
Compassion | 5/5 |
Accessibility | 5/5 |
Fees (A higher score means better value) | 4/5 |
Pros
- Focuses on LGBTQ+ immigration issues
- Certified Specialist by the Law Society of Ontario
- Accepts clients outside of Canada
- Firm has bilingual lawyers and access to interpreters
- Law firm has a diverse team
Cons
- Consultation fees are pricey
What impressed us about Michael Battista is his extensive expertise in immigration law. He has been practicing immigration and refugee law for over 30 years!
It’s impressive that he’s a Certified Specialist in Citizenship and Immigration Law (Immigration and Refugee Protection) by the Law Society of Ontario. Plus, he earned The Best Lawyers in Canada award, showing he’s one of the best in his field!
Notably, Battista also focuses on immigration issues of the LGBTQ+ community. He helps with sponsorships for couples in same-sex relationships, which we commend as it shows his compassion for anyone immigrating to Canada.
Besides that, we admire him for also focusing on sponsorship issues for individuals with medical problems that affect their inadmissibility. He also helps with sponsorship issues for individuals positive for HIV, which we believe shows his welcoming personality.
With Battista’s specialization, he earned our admiration. We think it shows his genuine compassion for his clients, which we believe is one of the most essential qualities of an immigration lawyer.
We also want to highlight his law firm, Battista Migration Law, for having a diverse team of lawyers coming from different nationalities. For us, it gives them a better understanding of the problems immigrants face.
On top of that, some lawyers are bilingual and have access to interpreters. That’s great news for newcomers who aren’t fluent in English.
Plus, Battista (and his team) represent people outside Canada. They accommodate clients through electronic communication, which is helpful for people who want to immigrate to Toronto but aren’t working in the country.
However, we were saddened that Battista Migration Law doesn’t have free consultations. They also lean on the pricier side, starting at $300, depending on the lawyer.
2. Lev Abramovich – Abramovich & Tchern Immigration Lawyers
Practice Areas: Corporate Immigration, Individual Immigration, Family Reunification, Immigration Litigation, Student Visa, United States Immigration, Etc.
Website: https://atimmigrationlaw.com/
Address: 145 Wellington St W Suite 201, Toronto, ON M5J 1H8
Contact Details: (647) 360-2329, [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Google reviews score | 5/5 |
Total reviews | 3/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Qualifications | 5/5 |
Approach | 5/5 |
Professionalism | 5/5 |
Compassion | 5/5 |
Accessibility | 4/5 |
Fees (A higher score means better value) | 4/5 |
Pros
- An experienced immigration litigator
- Speaks in other languages
- Has lower consultation fees
- Available for in-person, phone, or virtual consultation
Cons
- Only two immigration lawyers at the firm
Lev Abramovich is a founding partner of Abramovich & Tchern Immigration Lawyers. But that’s not what caught our attention; it’s his experience as a skilled litigator, which we think gives you the best chance to get application approval.
His practice areas focus on immigration litigation, personal immigration, and refugee law. For us, his scope of services shows his experience working with different types of immigrants, which we appreciate.
It’s a plus that he’s also highly experienced at appearing in all levels of Ontario Courts. It speaks about his confidence to protect his client’s interests, in our opinion.
Another aspect about Abramovich that’s worth highlighting is that he speaks in English and Russian. Even better, his partner, Ksenia Tchern, who focuses on corporate immigration, speaks conversational Spanish and Russian.
Clearly, our team greatly admires Abramovich & Tchern Immigration Lawyers for their ability to cater to newcomers in Toronto who aren’t fluent in Spanish. However, there are only two immigration lawyers at the firm.
Why is that worth mentioning? It’s a downside for us because if Abramovich is busy, there’s no one readily available to take your case.
On the bright side, we appreciate they have lower fees than other immigration firms in Toronto. It starts at $150 + HST for a 30-minute in-person, phone, or virtual consultation.
3. Mario D. Bellissimo – Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC
Practice Areas: Family Class Sponsorship, Refugee Protection, Work and Study Permit, Medical Inadmissibility, Criminal /inadmissibility, Etc.
Website: https://www.bellissimolawgroup.com/
Address: 20 Eglinton Ave W #1402, Toronto, ON M4R 1K8
Contact Details: (647) 492-5933, [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Google reviews score | 4.8/5 |
Facebook reviews score | 4.5/5 |
Total reviews | 5/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Qualifications | 5/5 |
Approach | 5/5 |
Professionalism | 5/5 |
Compassion | 5/5 |
Accessibility | 5/5 |
Fees (A higher score means better value) | 4/5 |
Pros
- Has a wide range of practice areas
- Certified Specialist by the Law Society of Ontario
- 3x Best Lawyer of the Year
- Provides legal aid for Pro Bono Ontario
- Law firm has many lawyers available
Cons
- Needs better consultation fee transparency
Mario D. Bellissimo has extensive experience in immigration law, which is one of his admirable qualities, in our opinion. He’s also the founder of Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC, showing his dedication to the job.
Bellissimo has a wide scope of services, which we greatly appreciate. He can work with different types of individuals undergoing citizenship, immigration litigation, protected person litigation, and inadmissibility cases.
Additionally, we admire the recognition he earned. He’s a Certified Specialist in Citizenship and Immigration Law and Refugee Protection by the Law Society of Ontario, showing his high level of expertise!
Furthermore, we found it impressive he’s earned Best Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers not once but three times! He won in 2016, 2018, and 2021.
A notable aspect is Bellissimo offers pro bono services for Pro Bono Ontario. It’s praiseworthy because he caters to Ontarians who can’t afford legal fees.
We also like that his firm, Bellissimo Immigration Law Group, offers flexible payment plans. It’s helpful for immigrants with tight budgets.
But we hope they can include the consultation price for transparency. We believe that it would benefit many immigrants who may not have a steady income yet.
Bellissimo Immigration Law Group also has a long list of lawyers, which is beneficial if Bellissimo cannot take your case or you can’t afford his legal fees since experience can affect the costs.
4. Jacqueline Lewis – Lewis & Associates LLP
Practice Areas: Study and Work Permit, Family Class Sponsorship, Refugee Claims, Litigation Services, Etc.
Website: https://lewislegal.ca/
Address: 150 Carlton St. #100, Toronto, ON M5A 2K1
Contact Details: (416) 924-2227, [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Google reviews score | 4.9/5 |
Facebook reviews score | 4.9/5 |
Total reviews | 4/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Qualifications | 5/5 |
Approach | 5/5 |
Professionalism | 5/5 |
Compassion | 5/5 |
Accessibility | 5/5 |
Fees (A higher score means better value) | 4/5 |
Pros
- Awarded the 2020 Laura Legge Award
- Works with interpreters
- Accepts legal aid
- Knows groups offering free settlement services
- Law firm has many immigration lawyers
Cons
- Pricey consultation fee
Founder and managing partner of Lewis & Associates LLP, Jacqueline Lewis caught our eye because of her over 30 years of experience in immigration law.
Her experience includes teaching immigration and refugee law at Carlton University and Western University. For us, that shows her dedication to the field by teaching and leading future immigration lawyers.
Additionally, we applaud her for earning the 2020 Laura Legge Award from the Law Society of Ontario, which recognizes exemplary female lawyers in Ontario. It’s incredible she was awarded out of the many outstanding lawyers, isn’t it?
We also found it brave of her to appeal unfavourable rulings for refugees at the Federal Court. The way we see it, this shows her determination and genuine compassion, two qualities we really like.
Lewis & Associates LLP is a big law firm, which does have its benefits. One of which is their long list of lawyers who can help you if Lewis’ schedule is booked up, which does happen.
Moreover, we like that they work with many interpreters so they can effectively communicate with all clients. They even partner with groups that offer free settlement services to newcomers—really helpful!
However, their consultation fees are pretty expensive at $300. Nonetheless, we appreciate that Lewis and her team accept legal aid for those unable to pay for a lawyer.
5. Matthew Jeffery – Law Office of Matthew Jeffery
Practice Areas: Family Sponsorship, Express Entry, Permanent Resident Card, Citizenship, Refugee Claims, Etc.
Website: https://www.matthewjeffery.com/
Address: 59 Berkeley St, Toronto, ON M5A 2W5
Contact Details: (416) 944-3267, [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Google reviews score | 4.8/5 |
Total reviews | 3/5 |
Score consistency | 5/5 |
Qualifications | 5/5 |
Approach | 5/5 |
Professionalism | 5/5 |
Compassion | 5/5 |
Accessibility | 4/5 |
Fees (A higher score means better value) | 5/5 |
Pros
- Lawyer is a barrister and a solicitor
- Certified Specialist in immigration law
- Provides free assessments
- Has an affordable consultation fee
Cons
- Accepts a limited number of clients
- Only one immigration lawyer available
Another Toronto immigration lawyer on our list is Matthew Jeffery, a barrister and solicitor. For us, it speaks about his expertise in and out of the courtroom.
On top of that, we like his two decades of experience in immigration law. Throughout the years, he has accepted various types of cases, which we believe has honed his skills even better.
Plus, the Law Society of Ontario certified him as a Specialist in immigration law. That recognition is given to lawyers who have shown exemplary standards in their profession, which definitely earns a mention!
We also appreciate that Jeffery specializes in all areas of immigration law, from family sponsorships to refugee appeals. It makes him accessible to many newcomers in Toronto, which is an advantage!
Matthew Jeffery’s immigration law office provides assessment forms, which we found beneficial. Not many immigration lawyers offer this, so this was worth highlighting.
Moreover, Jeffery can evaluate your qualifications for permanent residence through the forms. It’s also free of charge, which benefits many low-income families.
Another factor we really like is his affordable consultation fee. It’s only $170 for 30 minutes, which is way lower than other immigration forms in Toronto.
Sadly, Jeffery is the only available immigration lawyer at his office. Unfortunately, that also results in him accepting a limited number of clients.
6. Jane Katkova – Jane Katkova & Associates Immigration Consultant
Practice Areas: Immigration
Website: https://canadianimmigrationexperts.ca/
Address: 1110 Finch Ave W #406, Toronto, ON M3J 2T2
Contact Details:
- [email protected]
- 1 416-661-4487
Office Hours:
Weekdays: 9:00-17:00
Weekends: Closed
Google reviews score | 4.8/5 |
Total reviews | 4.5/5 |
Score consistency | 4.5/5 |
Qualifications | 5/5 |
Approach | 5/5 |
Professionalism | 5/5 |
Compassion | 5/5 |
Accessibility | 4/5 |
Fees (A higher score means better value) | 4/5 |
Pros
- Experienced Principal Counsel
- Expertise in Complex Cases
- Diverse Immigration Services
- Legal Advocacy Skills
- Global Team and Multilingual Support
Cons
- Closed on weekends
Jane Katkova, the founder and principal counsel, brings over 20 years of experience as an Immigration Counsel with a remarkable 98% success track record.
Her expertise encompasses various types of permanent, temporary, and corporate Canadian immigration matters.
Jane specializes in building strategies to resolve complex immigration cases, showcasing a strong eye for detail and in-depth knowledge of legislation.
She approaches each case with thoroughness, combining expertise with compassion for clients. For these reasons, we think she’d be a great option.
The consultancy firm offers a wide range of immigration services, including assistance to Canadian and international corporations, citizenship by investment, permanent residency for professionals and investors, and the START UP visa for entrepreneurs.
We’re impressed that Jane Katkova is well-versed in advocating clients at various immigration forums, including Immigration Refugee Board, appeal proceedings at Immigration Appeal Division, Detention, Deportation & Admissibility Reviews, and we think this demonstrates strong advocacy skills.
Jane leads an international team of professionals proficient in languages such as English, French, Russian, Mandarin, Hebrew, Romanian, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, etc.
We like that this multilingual support enhances accessibility and communication for a diverse clientele.
All these said, we highly recommend!