Refugee claims
Claims made at the border or inside Canada. We review your eligibility, prepare your Basis of Claim form and evidence, and represent you at your hearing before the Refugee Protection Division.
Immigration counsel for refugee claims, detention, sponsorship and work in Canada.
From our office on Dundas Street East in the heart of downtown Toronto, ATWORLD IMMIGRATION represents people before the Immigration and Refugee Board and prepares applications to IRCC. We take on the files that need the most care: hearings, refusals and urgent matters.
Or call 416-900-3738, or message us on WhatsApp
Where we focus
Six areas make up most of our work. In each one, senior counsel stays with your file from the first consultation to the decision.
Spousal sponsorship
Spouses, common-law and conjugal partners, inside Canada or abroad. We build the relationship evidence officers look for and prepare you for interviews.
Detention reviews
When CBSA detains someone, the Immigration Division must review it within 48 hours. We argue for release and propose conditions and bondspersons the Board can accept.
Inadmissibility
Criminal records, misrepresentation findings, medical and financial grounds. We find the remedy that fits: rehabilitation, a temporary resident permit, or a hearing.
Business immigration
Entrepreneurs, investors and companies moving key staff to Canada. Business programs open and close often, so we start from what is accepting applications today.
LMIA
For employers hiring from abroad: choosing the right wage stream, recruitment that meets ESDC’s rules, transition plans, and staying compliant after the worker arrives.
If a family member has been detained, the review clock has already started.
Under section 57 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, detention must be reviewed by the Immigration Division on a fixed schedule. Each review is a chance at release, and the first one comes fast.
Call 416-900-3738- Within 48 hoursFirst detention review before an Immigration Division member.
- Within the next 7 daysSecond review if the person is not released at the first.
- At least every 30 daysOngoing reviews for as long as detention continues.
Fifteen years in Canadian immigration. Seven running our own practice.
Ali Tabrez spent eight years learning the work under experienced mentors before founding ATWORLD IMMIGRATION. Since then the firm has grown around the cases other offices hesitate to take: refugee hearings, detention, refused sponsorships and inadmissibility.
Many of our clients are most comfortable explaining their story in their first language. Our team speaks eight, so nothing important gets lost before it reaches a decision-maker.
- Appearing before
- All four IRB divisions: RPD, RAD, ID and IAD
- Applications to
- IRCC, CBSA and ESDC
- Languages
- English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Gujarati, Arabic
How a file moves with us
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Consultation
We hear the full story, read any letters or decisions you have, and tell you plainly what your options are.
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Strategy and evidence
We agree on a plan, gather documents and witness statements, and check every form against your history.
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Filing and representation
We submit on time and stay with you through interviews, procedural fairness letters and hearings.
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Decision and next steps
We explain the result. If it is negative, we tell you about appeal or review deadlines the same day.
Hear it from our clients
Read reviews from the people we have represented, or watch clients share their own success stories.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask us most. Every case turns on its own facts, so treat these as a starting point.
Is there a deadline to make a refugee claim in Canada?
Yes. If you first entered Canada after June 24, 2020, a claim made more than one year after that first entry will generally not be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a hearing. Once a claim is found eligible, you have 60 days to complete the application, and after referral your personal documents are due within 30 days. These rules took effect in 2026, so speak to counsel early.
My spousal sponsorship was refused. Can it be appealed?
It depends on how you applied. For an outland application, the sponsor can usually appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division within 30 days of receiving the refusal. An inland application has no IAD appeal; the option is usually an application for leave and judicial review at the Federal Court, which has a 15-day deadline for decisions made in Canada. Either way, act quickly.
CBSA has detained my relative. What can we do?
The Immigration Division will hold a detention review within 48 hours. Before that hearing, it helps to have a release plan ready: an address, a bondsperson who can post a deposit or guarantee, and proposed conditions. Call us as soon as you know about the detention.
Does every foreign worker need an LMIA?
No. Many employer-specific work permits require a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment, but some categories are exempt, such as intra-company transferees and certain trade-agreement professionals. We check exemptions first, because they are usually faster for the employer.
Can I have my consultation in Urdu, Punjabi or another language?
Yes. We consult in English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Gujarati and Arabic. Tell us your preferred language when you book.
Book a consultation
Tell us briefly what is happening. If you have a hearing date, a detention, or a deadline in a letter from IRCC, mention it so we can prioritize your file.
ATWORLD IMMIGRATION
Suite 205, 1201 Dundas St E
Toronto, ON M4M 1S2
Phone or WhatsApp: 416-900-3738
WhatsApp: @atworld.immigration
Fax: 289-812-5969
Email: contact@atworldimmigration.com
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm