May 27-29 2026

Jasmyne Bois

Steve Pageau

Jonathan Leblanc

Sinéad Tuite

Suzine Racine

Ellen O'Halloran

James Mc Namee

Ian Ross

Johanna Felske

Rob Stewart

Jonathan Joshi-Koop

Jonathan is the A/Senior Director of the Permanent Economic Immigration Branch at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), where he is responsible for providing strategic policy advice regarding Express Entry, the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Federal Skilled Workers Program. Prior to taking on this role, Jonathan held various management and analyst positions at IRCC, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and at the Immigration and Refugee Board, where he provided policy advice on the use of biometrics in Canada’s immigration system, Canada’s regulatory making process, and on the operations of Canada’s refugee determination system.

Ian Smart

The Honourable Marc Miller

The Honourable Marc Miller was first elected in 2015 as the Member of Parliament for Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, in Montréal. He has previously served as Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and as Minister of Indigenous Services. Before entering politics, Minister Miller was a practising lawyer. He specialized in mergers and acquisitions, with a focus on international and commercial law, and worked in Montréal, Stockholm, and New York City. Previously, he served as an infantry soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces. Minister Miller made history in 2017 when he delivered a statement in the House of Commons entirely in Mohawk, marking the first time the language had been spoken in either the House of Commons or Senate since Confederation. He has also been a forceful advocate for increased federal investment in affordable housing, public transit, and the Canada Child Benefit. Minister Miller has been involved in several charitable and pro bono legal initiatives. He has also authored articles on constitutional and human rights law. Minister Miller is a graduate of the Université de Montréal, where he earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science. He also graduated from McGill University with degrees in Common Law and Civil Law. He was born and raised in Montréal.

The Honourable Sean Fraser

The Honourable Sean Fraser was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Central Nova in 2015. Minister Fraser previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance from 2019 to 2021, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change from 2018 to 2019. In 2021, he also served concurrently as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister. Before entering politics, Minister Fraser had a successful legal career with one of Canada’s top-ranked law firms, where he practised commercial litigation and international dispute resolution. He is a long-time volunteer, having served as the Vice-President of a local branch of the United Nations Association in Canada, acted as a Research Fellow with the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, and provided pro bono legal services to the local BGC Club and vulnerable community members. Minister Fraser holds a law degree from Dalhousie University, a Master’s degree in Public International Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands, and a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis Xavier University. Minister Fraser grew up in Pictou County, and has family throughout the Town and County of Antigonish. He enjoys spending time in Central Nova with his wife, Sarah, and their children, Molly and Jack.

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, The Honourable Matt DeCourcey

Matt DeCourcey was elected in October 2015 as a Member of Parliament for the riding of Fredericton, New Brunswick, where he was born, raised and educated. He served on the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Special Committee on Pay Equity and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Mr. DeCourcey worked as an assistant to former Fredericton Member of Parliament and cabinet minister, Andy Scott, in 2005 and 2006. He also worked with former Labrador Member of Parliament and Métis leader, Todd Russell. After a five-month international development project in West Africa, Mr. DeCourcey established the Wanderers Friendship Cup – a soccer tournament and health-education initiative for youth in The Gambia. Armed with his unwavering vision for a caring and compassionate Canada, Mr. DeCourcey has dedicated the years prior to being elected to bettering the lives of disenfranchised youth through his role as Director of Communications, Education and Outreach, with the New Brunswick Child and Youth Advocate.

Mr. DeCourcey holds a Master of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University. He is a 2012-13 Action Canada Fellow, co-authoring the report, Who Cares About Young Carers? Raising Awareness for an Invisible Population, and a former provincial coordinator for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group.

Mr. DeCourcey has served as a Parliamentary Secretary since 2017, and is currently Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Naheed Nenshi, A’paistootsiipsii, was sworn in as Calgary's 36th mayor on October 25, 2010 and was re-elected in 2013 and 2017.

Prior to being elected, Mayor Nenshi was with McKinsey and Company, later forming his own business to help public, private and non-profit organizations grow. He designed policy for the Government of Alberta, helped create a Canadian strategy for The Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy, and worked with the United Nations to determine how business can help the poorest people on the planet. He then entered academia, where he was Canada's first tenured professor in the field of nonprofit management, at Mount Royal University's Bissett School of Business.

For his work, Mayor Nenshi was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, was awarded the President’s Award from the Canadian Institute of Planners, and received the Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Psychological Association for his contributions to community mental health. In 2013, after his stewardship of the community during devastating flooding, Maclean’s magazine called him the second-most influential person in Canada, after the Prime Minister. He was also awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize by the UK-based City Mayor’s Foundation as the best mayor in the world.

In 2014, he was also honoured by Elder Pete Standing Alone with the Blackfoot name A’paistootsiipsii, which means "Clan Leader" or "He who moves camp and the others follow". In 2016, Elder Bruce Starlight of the Tsuu T'ina First Nation honoured him with the name Iitiya: "Always Ready".

Mayor Nenshi holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with distinction) from the University of Calgary, where he was President of the Students' Union, and a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he studied as a Kennedy Fellow.

Jean-Nicolas Beuze

Jean-Nicolas Beuze worked for more than 20 years with the United Nations in the areas of Human Rights (OHCHR), Peacekeeping (DPKO) and UNICEF at Headquarters and in the field (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Afghanistan and the Middle-East and North Africa region) before joining UNHCR in Lebanon as Deputy Representative for Protection and Inter-Agency Coordination. Prior to joining UNHCR, he was the UNICEF Child Protection Advisor for the MENA region (2010-13) working on emergency responses in Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and strengthening public child protection and education systems in the region. He was previously appointed as the Deputy Director of the Human Rights Unit of UN Peace-Keeping/DPKO mission in Afghanistan/UNAMA (2008-10) focusing on women’s rights, elections, poverty and the protection of civilians. He previously worked as a Research Director in a human rights think-tank (International Council on Human Rights Policy) on issues of peace agreements, transitional justice, national human rights institutions and the reform of the UN human rights system. Jean-Nicolas Beuze holds a LL.M in international human rights law from Essex University, UK, and a Master in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International Relations, Geneva/Switzerland.

Janet Dench

2016 AWARD RECIPIENT: JANET DENCH - CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES

The Canadian Council for Refugees is a national non-profit umbrella organization committed to the rights and protection of refugees and other vulnerable migrants in Canada and around the world, and to the settlement of refugees and immigrants in Canada. Its membership is made up of organizations involved in the settlement, sponsorship, and protection of refugees and immigrants. The CCR serves the networking, information-exchange, and advocacy needs of its membership.

Visit the CCR website for more information.

Mario Dion

A Montréal native, Mr. Dion, now a retired lawyer, obtained a law degree from the University of Ottawa in 1979.  Mr. Dion began his legal career in 1980 as a legal advisor at the then-Ministry of the Solicitor General.  In 1988, he became the Assistant Deputy Minister of Communications, Evaluation and Research at Corrections Canada. From Corrections Canada, Mr. Dion moved to the Department of Justice where he became the Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services in 1992.  In 1995 he was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Justice.  From 1996 to 1997 he served as Deputy Clerk and Counsel at the Privy Council Office, responsible for Legislative House Planning and Machinery of Government and then returned to the Department of Justice as Associate Deputy Minister. In 2003, Mr. Dion was appointed Deputy Minister of Indian Residential Schools Resolution of Canada, where he led efforts to bring closure to 16,000 pending litigation files and, ultimately, the historic 2006 agreement with former residential school students. Mr. Dion also served as Chairperson of the National Parole Board from 2006-2009 and most recently as Commissioner of Public Sector Integrity from 2011-2014. In 2015, Mr. Dion was appointed as Chairperson of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Rekha P. McNutt

Manprit Aujla-Grewal

Martine Varekamp-Bos

Catharine Baier

Warwick Immigration Canada was founded by Catharine in 2016, and has offices in both British Columbia and Alberta.  Catharine is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (R515749) and received her master’s degree in business administration from the University of Fredericton in 2024.   In addition, Catharine is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Law for the Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law at Queen's University.

With 30 years of paralegal experience in both the legal and business communities, Catharine's skills encompass various areas including immigration, residential real estate, corporate commercial transactions, and small claims.

Steven Meurrens

Steven is a Vancouver based Canadian immigration lawyer who advises clients on all Canadian immigration and citizenship issues. He has significant experience representing corporate and individual clients in obtaining visas and permits for many business-related purposes, including, but not limited to, Labour Market Impact Assessments, intracompany transfers, international trade agreements, speciality business visits, and transitioning from temporary to permanent resident under numerous federal economic streams. His corporate clients include businesses engaged in mining, telecommunications, construction, hospitality, and technolgy start-ups.

In addition to his business immigration practice, Steven has extensive experience in family-based immigration matters. He also has an active practice assisting people who have been denied entry to Canada and to those whom have had visa applications refused. He has appeared before the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court.

Steven is the past-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia’s Immigration Subsection. He is a published columnist, a regular panelist at immigration law conferences, an instructor at the University of British Columbia’s Certificate in Immigration Laws, Policies and Procedures, the author of a very widely read blog on Canadian immigration law and the creator of an immigration podcast.

Neera Agnihotri

Born to a hard working immigrant family, Neera Agnihotri knows first-hand the challenges that we can face when entering a new community, let alone a new country to live, work or visit. Her personal experience is the driving force behind her passion to help others complete their venture into new land, with as much ease as possible Prior to attining her Immigration Practitioner Licence in 2006, Neera was immersed in the Travel and Tourism industry. Her hard work ethic and professionalism landed her a job on only her third day of practicum with BTI International, where she worked for many years. Neera was praised for her incredible focus and was considered an asset to their firm. But, being an ambitious female entrepreneur and driven young mother motivated her to take her career to the next level. She then attained her CSIC License and started her own firm

Since then she has been providing her clients with honest, efficient and transparent immigration services

There is a terrible stigma attached to the Immigration Consultant profession due to numerous reports of people engaging themselves in unethical behavior. These unfortunate situations are another source of motivation for Neera and her team to set the standard in her industry with ethical practice at all times

Jacques Therrien

Svetlana Balaba

Svetlana Balaba, RCIC, serves as the Executive Director of Student Retention, Records, and International Student Advising (ISA) at GUS Canada. GUS Canada is a part of the Global University Systems (GUS) network, which encompasses eight institutions across the country. Since becoming a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) in 2017, Svetlana has held various roles in international education, with extensive experience in admissions, enrollment management, and student recruitment.

David LeBlanc

Managing Director, Senior Counsel Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant RCIC – ICCRC David is a High Honours Graduate of Seneca College’s Immigration Practitioner Program, and a Member of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants. He has been with Ferreira-Wells since 2002. In April 2004, he was among the first hundred registrants listed with the former regulatory body Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants – CSIC, and is now a member of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council – ICCRC. He is a specialist in Family and Economic Class applications, refugee and H&C clients, attends Appeals and Admissibility hearings at all immigration tribunals, prepares final submissions, and responds to all challenges from Canada Immigration. A former banker and National Credit – Customer Service Manager with Fortune 500 corporations, David is the firm’s Managing Director and senior counsel, and oversees staff and daily business operations. He has taught classes at Seneca in the Professional Practice Management module, and is a founding member of the Immigration Consultant’s Listserv, a professional forum established in 2004 dedicated to the advancement of Immigration Consultant’s Continuing Professional Development. David is an avid portrait, travel and urban scene photographer, and has been a volunteer telephone crisis counselor with Distress Centres, family counselor with Survivor Support Program and Big Brothers. A world traveler, he was the past president of The Hemingway, an equity co-op for ten years, and oversaw its conversion to condominium. David was born in Montreal on Bastille Day, the national holiday of France, and one day he hopes to find himself in Paris on his birthday so he can see the fireworks and pretend they are for him.

Claudia Mei Mei Chan

Kevin Zemp

Kevin Zemp is the founder of Zemp Law Group, with over 28 years of experience working in the immigration field. He is licensed to practice immigration and citizenship law in both Canada and the United States, which provides him with considerable flexibility to service clients with both Canadian and US immigration and citizenship needs.

Kevin acts for corporations, industry associations and individuals in providing advice and assistance with respect to cross-border issues and immigration requirements. His practice serves clients involved in the manufacturing, energy, high technology, telecommunications, automotive and entertainment industries, among others. He assists both individuals and corporations with work permit matters, residency and citizenship applications and many other immigration issues.

Prior to his admission to the bar, Kevin was employed as a senior immigration officer for the Canadian government. He previously served as Chair of the Alberta South section of the Canadian Bar Association and is a former Chair of the National Immigration section of the Canadian Bar Association. With his many years of experience in dealing with immigration matters, Kevin is able to apply significant background knowledge and understanding in order to resolve complex immigration issues on behalf of his clients.

Klaudios Mustakas

Mia Loebach-Readings

•RCIC for 16 years; member of CICC and CAPIC

•Employed by and managed a mid-size immigration law firm for 15 years, and did a short stint as an immigration advisor at Western University, before opening a consulting practice last year

•Teaching at Queen’s University in the GDipICL practice management course for the past two terms

•Sit on the mentoring committee and do work with the specialization program at CICC as a Subject Matter Expert

•Invited by community service organizations to lead CPD and public information sessions for it’s employees and clients

•Sit on the Interfaith Refugee Committee in London, privately sponsoring refugees under the Community Sponsorship program 

•Practice areas that I've been focusing on lately are RPD and RAD cases, as well as H&C applications 

Mario D. Bellissimo

Mario D. Bellissimo is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and is a Certified Specialist in Citizenship and Immigration Law and Refugee Protection. He is the founder of BELLISSIMO LAW GROUP PC and the principal lawyer with a practice focus on citizenship, immigration and protected person litigation and inadmissibility law. Mr. Bellissimo has appeared before all levels of immigration tribunals and courts including the Supreme Court of Canada. He is the past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association National Immigration Law Section, serves as an appointed member of the Federal Court Rules Committee and participates on multiple stakeholder committees involving the Federal Courts, the Immigration and Refugee Board, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Canada Border Services Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, and the Department of Justice.

Mr. Bellissimo has testified before Parliamentary and Senate Committees on several proposed amendments to immigration law over the years. He has been lead on policy papers, legal analysis and proposed recommendations to government on behalf of immigration advocacy associations and in his personal capacity.

Mr. Bellissimo acts on a pro bono basis for Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital and Pro Bono Law Ontario and as the National Immigration Law and Policy Advisor for COSTI Immigration Resettlement Services. He and his team represent clients from all over the world and Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC is exclusively committed to Canadian citizenship, immigration and refugee matters. Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC handles hundreds of files each year and represents clients at every stage of the immigration process.

Olena Weber

Olena Weber helps RCICs build profitable businesses without burnout. As an immigrant entrepreneur herself, she is passionate about supporting immigrant women in creating businesses they are proud of. In 2024, she was recognized as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. Fun fact: Olena swears by running a business without a phone number! Success of your business doesn’t require being on call 24/7.

Brooke Finlay

Burcu Akyol

Burcu embarked on her career path as an RCIC in February 2019. She started her immigration consulting business after seventeen years of experience as an educator and educational leader. Although she is relatively new in the industry, setting clear entrepreneurial career goals helped her scale her business from one employee to seven employees in three years. She believes whether it is three years or thirty years in the profession, being an RCIC and a business owner require embracing a dynamic approach, a growth mindset, and positioning yourself strategically in your market.

Dalia Milmantas

Brandon Miller

Brandon D.K. Miller is a seasoned Immigration Consultant, Educator, and Entrepreneur whose unwavering sense of entrepreneurship, integrity, and professionalism have earned him the reputation as an “Immigration Superhero” and innovative leader across Canada and beyond.

As a world-traveled professional, Brandon has been imparted with a deep understanding of a multitude of different cultures, enabling him to better serve his clientele who is equally as diverse. For several years, he also assisted new immigrants in not only settling in, but taking the action steps necessary to succeed in their new home. This previous experience grants him the ability to take the most holistic possible approach to an individual’s migration.

Currently, Brandon proudly serves as a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant at Maple Immigration Services and an Immigration Program Instructor at Herzing College.

In addition to his Certification in Immigration Consultation (with honours) from Humber College, Brandon D.K. Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Psychology from Carleton University and an Instructor Diploma in TESOL (Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages) from Global TESOL College.

Each day, Brandon D.K. Miller is deeply inspired by his clients who face untold adversity to create a better life for not only themselves, but their loved ones. As a dedicated Immigration Consultant and Educator who has traveled extensively, he has the golden opportunity to make his valued clients’ dreams a reality, which he finds both rewarding and humbling.

Katina Hunter Sutcliffe

Katina Sutcliffe attended University of Windsor Law School and earned her LLB. She also holds a JD from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.   Her background is wide and varied and includes a clerkship at the Ontario Court of Appeal and a decade working as a global relocation facilitator. During this time, Katina raised her young family and it is only in the last several years, Katina has become more active again in the law profession.  She attended an IPP course and developed a passion for immigration advocacy. She focuses on inadmissibility issues and has worked closely with other practitioners on a variety of immigration cases.  Another passion is Katina's thirst for case law  research and administrative law approach.     Katina has been a presenter at the chapter and national level and is a regular attendee at many CAPIC events!  When not researching Katina can be found at her beloved cottage and sailing around the Great Lakes!

Claudia Toulany

Hannah Flostrad

Hannah Lindy

Oleksandra Melynkova