Course Chairs
Silvia Macedo — McCrea Immigration Law LLP, Vancouver
Craig Natsuhara — EY Law LLP, Vancouver
Helen Park — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver
About the Course Chairs
After launching a successful career as a civil and employment lawyer in her native Brazil, Silvia Macedo decided to immigrate to Canada without having set foot here before. Undaunted by the Canadian licensing process, she worked her way through another law degree, a second career as an immigration paralegal, and a third career as a mother to two boys. Silvia is now returned to where she started, this time tackling the practice of Canadian immigration law.
Silvia takes on all kinds of immigration and citizenship cases and loves diving into a juicy legal research project. As a trained Brazilian and Canadian lawyer, she's happy to work with clients in English and in Portuguese.
Craig Natsuhara practices at EY Law LLP in Vancouver, where he co-leads the Canadian Immigration practice. He has practiced business immigration law since 2000.
Craig enjoys advocacy work, having initiated the project that led to the prior recruitment-exempt LMIA category for digital media and having provided input on formulating what became the Global Talent Stream LMIA that succeeded the digital media LMIA category. He has had the privilege of guiding a number of international visual effects and animation studios with their expansion to Vancouver. He is passionate about supporting Vancouver's economy and assisting foreign nationals to immigrate to this amazing city.
Craig has been recognized by the international Who's Who Legal in its Corporate Immigration and Canada listings since 2011. He was the Chair of the CBABC's Immigration Section from 2007 to 2009. He has been a member of the Immigrant Employment Council of BC ("IEC-BC") Employer Advisory Group since 2018.
Craig has been a Director of the SPARK Computer Graphics Society since 2011 and a Director (and past President) of the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre since 1998.
Helen Park is a partner at Dentons Canada LLP who practices immigration law with a focus on business immigration for corporate clients and businesses in Canada, the US and worldwide. She has extensive experience in all categories of work permit applications and she works closely with clients to provide strategic advice to fulfill their specialized work force and labor shortage needs. In addition, Helen is an expert on immigration matters in relation to productions in the entertainment and media industry and often advises clients on various issues for foreign workers who work on film productions in Canada. She also advises business clients on the various options for permanent residence to Canada including provincial nomination programs, the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker program, and Family Class sponsorship applications.
Helen started practicing law in 2003 and was called to the bar in both BC and Alberta. Prior to joining Dentons, she practiced in the areas of immigration law and corporate/commercial law at a boutique immigration law firm, a leading national law firm in Vancouver as well as a full service regional law firm in Edmonton.
Faculty
Sharon An — PwC Law LLP, Vancouver
Jeffrey Chang — Manager and Immigration Consultant, EY Law LLP, Vancouver
Angela Harris — Heron Law Offices, Burnaby
Meika C. Lalonde — McCrea Immigration Law LLP, Vancouver
Jeffrey S. Lowe — Lowe & Company, Vancouver
Steven Meurrens — Larlee Rosenberg, Vancouver
Catherine A. Sas, QC — Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre, Vancouver
Marina L. Sedai — Sedai Law Office, Surrey
Jean Yoon — Program Manager, Launch Academy, Vancouver
Course Materials Contributor
Stanley Leo — Lowe & Company, Vancouver
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