Léa Charbonneau-Lacroix, Partner and Rosalie Brunel, Founding PartnerBrunel Immigration has become the go-to partner for clients in an era where businesses struggle to bring qualified workers due to complexities and delays in the immigration process. According to reports, as of April 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a backlog of more than 2.1 million applicants waiting on decisions for citizenship, immigration, and temporary residence. Under such a situation, a partner like Brunel Immigration, with its competent and friendly legal services, can ease the process.
In an interview with Manage HR, Rosalie Brunel, founding partner and Léa Charbonneau-Lacroix, partner, Brunel Immigrations Lawyers, share insights into the company’s genesis and value propositions.
What is the origin of Brunel Immigration Lawyers?
In the late 2000s, after completing my law degree, a Masters in administration and two years of practice in immigration, I decided to start my own law practice. It was probably a somewhat naive decision at the time: I was young, competent and knew my honesty and my hard-work would eventually pay off, but in a business sense, I was really just a rookie and surely did not realize what I was getting myself into.
My marketing efforts have always been modest, and so, word-of-mouth was key in developing my clientele. Satisfied clients referred other clients, and with time,the snowball effect brought me to where I am today. I became well-respected in the world of immigration law. Where others failed, I often managed to turn things around, and I felt very proud of some success stories. Immigration applications change the lives of the people concerned, and so, when you manage to bring someone’s abandoned niece to Canada, a crucial worker to a company, you know it means the world to your clients and it is a great joy to share with them.
Today, we are a team of 11 experts well-versed with the changing immigration landscape and the laws surrounding it. We are all animated by the same goal: to give clients the very best service. The team has been instrumental in addressing customers’ challenges and leading Brunel Immigration toward success.
Please shed some light on the pain points in the immigration arena?
The most significant challenges our clients face are delays and sudden changes in immigration policies. The Canadian immigration system and provincial immigration systems are extensive and complex. As a result, any alteration in the immigration policies can affect all the parties. The situation has become more critical to immigrants on a temporary status, whether it is a work permit or a student permit.
Our role is to get the big picture for clients. We know what the government has done in the past and what they’re likely to do. So, we get a sense of what may be coming. This gives clients peace of mind knowing that they know where they are heading and that we will be there for them at all times during the process.
Could you elaborate on the services Brunel Immigration Lawyers provides?
Client satisfaction has always been our priority. Our services range from professional mobility, representing employers and taking care of the immigration needs of their workers to individual filings, including visitor visas, work permits, student permits, and settlement-related issues.
We also counsel foreign business people and self-employed workers to obtain all the necessary permits to establish themselves and their business in Canada. Whether it may be a top sports coach, a super model, or a business seeking to establish a new company in Canada: if it makes sense, there is most likely a way, and when there is a way, we have the will to make it happen for our clients.
Personal or business, whatever the case, our team provides one-on-one service to clients. They always put their best foot forward to understand clients’ concerns and preferences to design the most effective immigration strategy. Clients also approach us to fix their denied immigration filings. In these cases, our experts offer them best-in-class support to expedite the entire process.
The problematic files always inspire us to grow, learn, and become better at our work. Each file is unique and complex, demanding a different approach. So, one size never fits all. It is necessary to delve into each case, reflect on the problem, and tailor the best legal solution.
Could you cite one or two instances where you enabled clients to overcome hurdles and attain desired outcomes with your services?
A particularly touching case was a young woman who was struggling to get a visa extension to stay in Canada. Tragedy struck her family, and as a consequence, she was unable to abide by all the conditions of her status. When she knocked on our door, she was out of status and not eligible to any type of immigration application, other than a very discretionary permit. So,we tried that and poured our heart into it. She is now in regular status in Canada, married and living a happy life.
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We are obsessed with being as precise and as thorough as can be to take the worry off our clients’ shoulders. In a moral sense, this is crucial to us as individuals. In a business sense, it is this reputation which has enabled us to reach this level of success today and which will enable us to go even further in the future
With corporate clients, we often start a collaboration when they contact us to double-check a negative immigration experience they are going through. Reviewing their case, we often have easy fixes, and quick turnaround strategies. It means their projects can finally get under way, or they are able to fulfill their contractual obligations with clients. So of course, those clients are delighted to receive that level of service from us. We are proud to say that we have long-lasting relationships with a few multinational organizations that started off that way.
We are obsessed with being as precise and as thorough as can be to take the worry off our clients’ shoulders. In a moral sense, this is crucial to us as individuals. In a business sense, it is this reputation which has enabled us to reach this level of success today and which will enable us to go even further in the future.
How has the pandemic affected the immigration landscape?
The pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns triggered an economic collapse around the globe. Canadian businesses had to resort to rigorous labor cut-downs. As the situation is in control now, there is a massive need to fill the labor shortage. The leniency in the existing COVID-19 protocols is a green flag to students and job seekers. But the immigration policies are evolving almost every other day. Given this scenario, businesses need a partner like Brunel Immigration that breathes day-in and day-out within the immigration space and is accustomed to all the changes.
How would you like to position Brunel Immigration Lawyers in the current market space?
We are dedicated to mitigating immigration hassles for our clients to help them seamlessly run their businesses and avoid any legal complications. With a set of qualified, hardworking, like-minded people on board, we look forward to making a difference in the lives of many. Our team will never cease to push its limits to make clients’ lives as simple as possible.
