With over 10 years of legal experience, Claire Joseph is committed to helping refugees navigate Canada’s complex legal system.
Claire Joseph is a paralegal based in Ottawa, Ontario. She provides legal services in various areas of law, but focuses specifically on immigration, the Human Rights Tribunal, landlord and tenant relations, the Commission of Oaths and small claims court claims. As a paralegal, she gathers information, processes it, organizes it and gives you the best advice for your file. Claire obtained her paralegal license from the Law Society of Ontario. After graduating from La Cité Collégiale in 2012, she worked for the federal government, law firms, private sector and community centres. She also completed an immigration consultant course at Collège La Salle
If you are in Ontario and qualify for Legal Aid, here are some of the services our Paralegal can provide, covered entirely by Legal Aid:
Refugee paralegal focus their practise on enforcing the legal rights of refugees and immigrants. They assist with filling out and filing applications, prepare you for hearings and can also represent you at hearings. It is highly advised to obtain a counsels to assist with your refugee claim as it includes complex paperwork, strict timelines and can be challenging to navigate.
Yes, paralegal can help refugees with their claims, although it is not legally required to obtain a counsels. It is strongly advised to retain one however, as these matters are often complex and can be difficult to navigate. Refugee paralegal can assist with claims and hearings at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, humanitarian and compassionate applications, pre-removal risk assessment applications (PRRA), judicial review of unsuccessful claims and loss of refugee status.
Asylum paralegal is another term for refugee paralegal, used in the United States. They essentially have the same responsibilities as refugee paralegal in Canada, except deal with U.S. government bodies.
A removal order is a legal decision issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) or the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) that mandates the departure of a foreign national from Canada.
A detention review in court involves assessing the grounds for an individual’s detention, whether due to immigration, national security, or criminal matters. An independent decision-maker, often from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), reviews the detention’s justification and human rights compliance. The detainee or their representative can present evidence against detention reasons.