BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO
Leaving your homeland and migrating to another country is something many of us can relate to. More now than ever there has been an influx of immigration to Canada, many seeking refuge or safety for their families, and excited to come to live in a place that offers positivity and better opportunities. Almost anyone hailing from the Caribbean islands, now residing in Canada made the decision to immigrate and become a part of the growing diversity of our country.
Lisa Ramkissoon native to Trinidad can relate, immigrating to Canada in 1994.
“I always had an interest in law,” Lisa shares, “When I got married and came here, my family was already in the [immigration] business so I ended up going into the business as well.”
Growing up in Trinidad, Lisa recalls how her father would always have her writing letters to the Attorney General every week. “From the age of nine, my father would be dictating letters to the Attorney General for me to write,” she laughs. “He always had some opinion about what was going on in the country and you can say that’s how I got my start.”
There were always some human rights, or political issue that her father wanted to address. “I guess it was his way of getting me engaged in current affairs,” she shares. This is a practice which she has continued with her own children, watching the evening news and discussing current affairs.
Prior to leaving Trinidad, Lisa had considered a potential career in either Pharmaceuticals or Business. It wasn’t until she got married and immigrated to Canada that she found herself in Immigration Consulting.
“I remember the first time I applied for a visa I didn’t get it,” Lisa says. “Then having to go through the whole sponsorship process, I started off like many other immigrants.”
Her family had already established their own practice in 1994, so when she arrived Lisa enrolled in the right courses to get the training certifications that she needed and started her career in immigration consulting in 1995.
Lisa received Canadian Refugee and Immigration Law Practitioner’s training from Seneca College and graduated with High Honors in 1999. She also holds a certification from the Ontario Management Development Program, in Business Management in 2005. In addition, she has also completed a Not-for-profit/corporate Governance education program at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in 2009.
Lisa is a member of the ICCRC, Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council from its inception. She was a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultant (CSIC) and a Fellow of the Canadian Migration Institute in 2006. She was also nominated and selected for “Member Spotlight” for the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, an honorary nomination for persons of outstanding performance, notable and influential character in the profession in 2010. She has received many accolades and recognition over the years including an honorary award for professional contribution to the Canadian Migration Institute in 2010.
Lisa worked in the family, business until 2008 when she decided to go her separate way and build something on her own. Over the years she had learned so much working in immigration consulting, always getting additional training to better service her clients and keeping up to date on the latest news in immigration law.
She took a short break, figuring out what to do next, ultimately deciding that it didn’t make sense to start a whole new career when this was something that she felt strongly about, and fueled her passion for helping people.
“I started volunteering with a shelter in Newmarket,” Lisa says. “I got involved with lobbying for refugee issues, immigration with regards to single women which ultimately pushed me into my current area of practice, the inland immigration practice rather than focusing on the business side of things.” Working in inland immigration, it allowed her to focus more on permanent residence within Canada.
“I was able to work on more humanitarian cases, family class, people who are inadmissible or facing deportation and focused a lot of my business on the inland express entry, applications, and foreign students.”
Lisa says that she finds it very rewarding to work with these clients. “You are able to make such a difference in people’s lives which is the real motivation in this job, it’s what keeps me going.” Considering each of her cases and the people behind the paperwork is her biggest priority when taking on new clients.
“If it’s always about business, then you won’t put in heart and soul, unless you walk in that person’s shoes for a while and understand what they are going through, to really strive hard to make a difference.”
For the past 25 years, Lisa has dedicated her time and resources to help ease the immigration process for her clients. She works hard to maintain a very high standard of practice that ensures each of her cases have a high success rate. “I won’t file any immigration case unless I think it’s 80% or more success rate chance of getting approved.”
Lisa Immigration Consulting is comprised of well informed and well-researched practices. She places extra care and attention for all of her cases to ensure optimal results. “The way I operate my business is by setting very high standards,” Lisa says. “My reputation and my license and having an ethical practice is the most important thing.”
Running a business in immigration matters is not without its challenges. Lisa says that many of the cases that are brought her way to deal in very complicated, and sometimes difficult to navigate issues that were unable to be resolved by other representatives in the field.
“I prepare all of my cases as though they are already at the appeal level, using legislation and case laws to make sure that everything is within the correct guidelines and accommodating on a case by case basis,” Lisa explains.
Through her Immigration Consulting business, Lisa has helped many families to navigate the complicated rules and jargon that makeup Canada’s immigration process. Some of her services include Convention Refugee Claims, Detention Reviews, Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications, Family Class Immigration, Spouse in Canada Immigration, Temporary Residence Permits, Student Visas, Skilled Workers, Work permits, Temporary documents and PR Cards specializing in Immigration appeal.
These are only some of the services she offers, but there isn’t a case she is unfamiliar with as just about everything has crossed her table and she has found a way to help people find their way through.
“I want to work with people in need, make a difference in the lives of people who’ve been here for a long time, people who would like their family to come to Canada to be reunited here and those are some of the clients I feel are rewarding to work with people in real need,” Lisa says.
If you or someone you know is looking for some great advice when it comes to immigration, L.R. Immigration offers you their consultation services, and promise to help in any way they can!
