Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1181006
34 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse TOP IMMIGRATION BOUTIQUES THE ACQUISITION of skilled talent from overseas is critical for the success and growth of many businesses. It can bring cultural diversity to an organization and alleviate labour shortages. A dearth of qualified candidates in the local market in numerous areas including software engineers and information systems technology professionals has led to employers looking further afield for talent. Despite presenting a complicated and sometimes costly immigration process, corporate immigration to Canada shows no sign of slowing down. "I think immigration programs have evolved to the point where employers can act with predictability and make decisions knowing that international hires will be facilitated," says Ryan Rosenberg, managing partner at Vancou- ver-based boutique Larlee Rosenberg. "I've seen a lot of employers searching both domestically and internationally concurrently, rather than waiting to exhaust local labour markets first. With the understanding that certain roles can't be filled in Canada right now, they are constantly looking overseas." Barbara Jo Caruso, founder of Toronto-based Corporate Immigration Law Firm, has observed a trend in the past year toward the desire to lock down talent and secure a work permit and visa as quickly as possible. Clients can sometimes lose a candidate to a competitor after going through the process of securing a Labour Market Impact Assessment, so time is of the essence when it comes to securing a new hire. "Decision-making is faster because competition is high," says Caruso. "Once companies land on a candidate, they really don't want to lose the candidate, so it's all about how fast we can get the approval." The government's pledge to move immigration business lines online will help to speed up the process of bringing in foreign workers to facilitate business growth. Free trade agreements, amendments to the LMIA and the introduction of the Global Talent Stream in 2017 have also helped Canadian employers attract international talent. With nine lawyers, Larlee Rosenberg serves clients from a vast range of industries including high-tech startups, e-commerce platforms, universities and large and high-value civil infrastructure projects. Rosenberg says clients favour a boutique immigration firm over large general law firms for their expertise and passion in their specialized area. "Everyone here is passionate about immigration law." Compliance also drives businesses to immigration law boutiques, says Caruso, whose firm represents clients ranging from large multinationals to mom-and-pop owner-operated stores. "There's a lot of concern now because companies are trying to abide by immigration law. The public damage to your corporate reputation can be huge if you are found to be offside with anything," she says. "There's greater confidence with a boutique because you're dealing directly with the lawyer responsible for your file. With larger firms, you're more removed from that high-touch service and assurance." Canada's aging population means the workforce will require a growing influx of skilled workers from afar, so immigration law boutiques are likely to remain busy. As for the immigration process, lawyers agree that change is inevitable and frequent. "Change is the norm when it comes to immigration policy, so I'm fully expecting to see constant change and no foreseeable slowdown," says Rosenberg. Meeting demand for speed TOP 10 IMMIGRATION BOUTIQUES Immigration boutiques are adapting to increased demand for securing foreign talent quickly in a competitive landscape "Once companies land on a candidate, they really don't want to lose the candidate, so it's all about how fast we can get the approval." BARBARA JO CARUSO, CORPORATE IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM