Below, Afshin shares his unique perspective and offers advice to those less experienced in the sector.
Tell us about your journey to becoming a lawyer. What was your first decision to become a lawyer?
At 16 years old, I chose to become a lawyer and worked hard to pass the entrance exam to law school. My mother and father died, so there was little support. At 22 years old, I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Law. Then, I continued my education and earned a Master’s Degree in Law. When I was working as an instructor at law schools in Iran, I passed the bar exam. Around 28 years old, I was married and moved to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to begin my career as a lawyer and university instructor. I eventually immigrated to Canada in 2012 with my wife.
My journey to becoming a lawyer is ongoing and has not stopped. All in all, I have studied law for more than 20 years and received multiple degrees in the field.
What did you notice about the changes in your practice when you moved from Iran, Canada to Canada?
It was a two-way trip from Dubai to Canada. Dubai was my second stop. Canada was my first stop. It took me six years to return to law school. Although I was completely new to the field, I used my international experience to help me succeed.
It was simple to see that there were many people just like me who wanted Canada to be their home. Canada is home to approximately half a million immigrants each year. It was obvious that immigration law would be a major area of legal services in Canada. I completed a Master’s in Law at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. I was awarded my Certificate of Qualification by the National Committee of Accreditation of Canada’s Federation of Law Societies. I wrote the Barrister and Solicitor Examinations for Ontario, Canada.
How did you get proficient in immigration law?
First, I had my own application for immigration. I was the corporate counsel for two of Canada’s most prominent immigration service providers, Golden Group and WWICS. After completing an immigration consultant diploma, I was able to become a licensed immigration consultant. I was able to pay for my law school tuition and gain valuable experience in Canadian immigration matters by becoming an immigration consultant.
Canada was a new start for me. It took me six years to return to law school.
Immigration law in Canada is not required to be studied at law school. It is therefore self-studied. It took six months to complete my immigration consultant diploma. This is why I am fluent in Canada immigration law.
You have stated that it is important for new immigrants to be part of a local community. This is a great idea.
Successful immigration is dependent on adaptability. By definition, adaptability means the ability to adapt to different situations. In immigration terms, adaptability refers to an immigrant’s ability and willingness to adjust to their new environment and thrive in it. Social integration refers to the process by which immigrants are integrated into the society of their host country, in this case Canada. Canada has a clear path for new immigrants. Like I did, all newcomers should follow it.
Integration is the most crucial step in the entire immigration process. By going to universities and language schools, I was able to learn about Canadian culture. My Canadian education lasted almost five years. As an immigration lawyer, my clients are guided on how to be a part Canadian society.
What are your current observations in the immigration sector? What trends are you expecting to see over the next few years?
Canada’s government plans to accept 1.5 million immigrants by 2025. However, this figure is lower than the 1000 individuals who are eligible for business immigration programs such as those for the self-employed and start-up visas. Canada’s immigration policy has been moving south since 2014. Although I don’t support refugee claims, I find it difficult to understand why Canada would prefer refugees claimants over entrepreneurs or investors.
Some of my current concerns include:
- Use Excel BASE-assisted software Chinook to reject mass applications for temporary residence visas, such as study permits and work permits, in order to deny visitor visa applications.
- It is an unfair strategy to refuse visa applications in order to clear the IRCC’s backlog
- It is difficult for skilled workers, entrepreneurs and international students to migrate to Canada. This makes them more likely to be called refugee claimants.
- Gambling with applicants and their representative by refusing visa applications and letting them appeal to the Federal Court if necessary.
Do you believe you have a certain creed or philosophy that has an influence on how you work?
Perfection is what I believe. Perfectionism is what I believe in. Perfectionism is the determination to achieve the highest quality spiritual, mental and material being. I am a perfectionist, and have always been. I have high standards. Being a risk-taker to me means taking risks and learning from my failures. I have learned from my mistakes in Iran, Dubai, and even Canada.
Immigration law in Canada is not required to be studied at law school. It is therefore self-studied.
My life’s purpose is to be a perfect person before I die. I live my life in a way that makes me realize tomorrow might be the end of my life. Because tomorrow may be too late, my work must be done today.
What can your pro bono work do to complement it?
Perfection is the perseverance of will to achieve the highest quality of spiritual, psychological, and material being. Pro bono work helps me improve my mental and spiritual well-being. I am driven by the need to be responsible and to give pro bono help to those in need. The YLG Foundation is a foundation I founded and donates around $50,000 each year to combat poverty and illiteracy.
“Human beings make up a whole
In creating one essence and one soul
If one of your members is suffering from pain
Uneasy members will remain
- Persian poet Saadi Shirazi
Pro bono legal assistance not only benefits society but also helps me be better at my job.
Do you have any advice for someone who is less experienced in immigration law looking to follow your example?
Canada offers many opportunities for skilled immigration lawyers. Immigration law is not just about filling out forms. Skilled practitioners understand this. Good service is more than just filling out forms. It requires creativity, attention to detail, and soft skills that clients can use to help them navigate the immigration process and become Canadian citizens.
The support needed by new economic immigrants is provided by immigration professionals. Canada is a country that welcomes business and enterprise immigrants. This is where soft skills, combined with knowledge and practice skills, can make a significant difference for their clients and businesses.
The extra dimension that immigration lawyers bring to the table can help them stand out in a specialty area with lots of competition and high demand? Here are some ideas:
Move beyond
An excellent immigration lawyer will follow through and be meticulous. They will meet deadlines, prepare and file documents, and follow up to ensure applicants succeed. However, a great lawyer can do more. The practice of immigration law is very different to other areas. Prospective clients want a specific outcome. They want to immigrate from Canada, but don’t necessarily know how to navigate it.
A great immigration lawyer will go above and beyond to help you. Your client may be motivated to move to Canada by a variety of factors. Are they looking for economic opportunities, hardship, duress or friendship from their home country, or some combination thereof? You can better understand your client and use your knowledge to help you find the best legal path.
My purpose in life is to be a perfect person before I die.
An excellent immigration lawyer is able to help clients with their paperwork and guide them towards their goals. It’s a lot like playing chess: you need to think ahead and be creative in order to help clients.
Be culturally sensitive, empathic
Immigration can be difficult even for people who have the skills and investment funds to move to Canada. As much as nurses and doctors need bedside manner, lawyers need to have a great ‘deskside’ manner. Try to imagine yourself as the client. It is important to take the time to get to know your clients’ culture so you can communicate clearly with them. It is important that clients know what services they receive and how they are being billed. Also, be aware of sensitive topics, protocol, and religious holidays.
Go the extra mile. For people looking for general information on immigrating to Canada, I offer a free, live, online question-and-answer session twice a week. All clients will be grateful, regardless of whether they become clients.
Play the long-game
As a professional, helping people to move to Canada and start a business is a good way to begin establishing enduring relationships. Businesses need to help grow and expand markets, as well as build networks and relationships. Consider the work that you do in immigration law for clients as a beginning, not an end.
Great immigration lawyers get to know their clients and understand all aspects of their lives, including their dreams and challenges as well as their hopes and dreams. This is how you can best serve your clients, your company and Canada.
My personal experience as an immigrant in Canada has been instructive. After having studied and practiced law in the Middle East, I came to Canada in 2012. As I was working through my own application file, I became more interested in Canadian immigration law.
As I said, I was an immigrant and had to start again, even though I have legal experience. After working as an immigration consultant in Canada, I lived and worked in Montreal and Vancouver, and I earned my LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto. I was 40 when I was called to the Bar in Ontario. It was a new start.
This type of new start can present challenges. For newcomers to Canada, however, it is a gift. It must be nurtured and cared for. Although law firms may not be viewed by everyone as support services in the same way that social service agencies and health clinics are, a strong, positive relationship between lawyers, newcomers, and their clients can prove just as important.
We would love to hear your thoughts on 2023 and what it will mean for you.
Just recently, I expanded my immigration law practice here in California, USA. In the next year, I plan to pursue a Master’s in Law and become an Attorney in California. YLG will then be able to provide American and Canadian immigration services for its clients.
What is the secret to your success?
I am an entrepreneur who has made it my own. I’m a risk-taker. I do not live in my comfort zone.
Three times, I started from scratch. My first venture was in Iran. I was 24 years old when I became a lawyer and built my first platform that allowed me to move up. I worked an average of 18 hours per day. Dubai was my next destination. I arrived in the country at 28 to work as an international representative. I gained valuable international market experience and financial stability while working in Dubai, which prepared me for a new area of my professional career.
In 2012, I arrived in Canada under the Quebec Skilled Worker program. Since the very beginning, I wanted to become a Canadian lawyer. It took six years for me to finish all my courses, get a Master’s in Law, and pass the bar exam to become a Canadian lawyer. I’m now ready to take the next step, and I will be a US lawyer by the end of 2023.
To help you understand how much liability I have, the monthly business expenses for YLG is approximately $700,000. It is quite a large amount in Canada, I assure you.
Besides YLG, there are other businesses I run: TIARCH, Ustartup and YLG Media.
What drives you to get the best results for your clients’?
My main motivation is to help them achieve their goals. Helping my clients solve their problems gives me great satisfaction. It is important to remember that my clients have asked me for help and placed their trust in me. Client satisfaction and a good reputation are also important. My success is dependent on the success of my client!
Afshin Yozdani, President
1050-5255 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M2N 6P4, Canada
Tel: +1 855-954-7222 | +1 647-402-7774
Fax: +1 416-224-8527
Afshin Yozdani , a lawyer and entrepreneur in Ontario (Canada) is . He is a Canadian lawyer who has an international background and only accepts clients who wish to immigrate to Canada as part of the corporate and business immigration categories. In 2019, Afshin established Yazdani Law Group in Toronto. Since then, the firm has grown quickly, with four additional branches opening in Tehran, Shiraz and Vancouver. Today, YLG employs over 60 people and handles more than 400 cases per year.