S1E14 - From Advocacy to Algorithms: AI’s Role in Immigration
Welcome Home: An Immigration Law PodcastShow Notes
Can automation truly redefine immigration systems without sacrificing equity and trust?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way Canadian immigration processes operate, with promises of increased efficiency and reduced backlogs. However, these innovations bring complex questions: Are biases baked into the algorithms? Is decision-making still truly in human hands? What does this mean for the future of immigration advocacy?
In this episode, Chantal Desloges and Cathryn Sawicki are joined by Zeynab Ziaie Moayyed and Will Tao, leading voices in immigration law and technology. Together, they explore the growing role of AI in visa processing, risk triaging, and border security—while unpacking the critical challenges around transparency, procedural fairness, and regulatory oversight.
Key topics include:
The tools shaping Canadian immigration—from Chinook to facial recognition systems.
Practical advice for preparing applications in the age of automation.
The ethical dilemmas of AI-powered decision-making.
Strategies for leveraging tech to streamline legal practices while safeguarding client confidentiality.
In this segment of "Things I Wish I Knew," the hosts share essential tips for avoiding professional scams, including maintaining secure signatures, enabling dual-factor authentication, and screening for fraudulent collaborators.
Tune in for an engaging discussion on how immigration practitioners can adapt to—and thrive in—an evolving landscape of AI-driven systems.
Special Guests:
Zeynab Ziaie Moayyed is a partner at My Visa Law Group in Toronto, where she combines business and immigration law to advise clients on a wide range of immigration matters. She provides strategic advice for short-term visa planning, long-term immigration purposes, and compliance obligations for businesses and tech start-ups. Zeynab regularly represents clients before the Immigration Appeal Division and the Federal Court of Canada, advocates for the use of technology to increase access to justice.
Will Tao is the founder of Heron Law Offices in Burnaby and has over a decade of experience in all areas of Canadian immigration and refugee law. He focuses on complex applications, overcoming refusals, inadmissibility matters, appeals, and judicial reviews. Will frequently appears before the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada, and currently serves as Co-Chair and a founding member of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Immigration Section Anti-Racism Committee.
More from Welcome Home: An Immigration Law Podcast
Have you ever felt like your career success came at the expense of your mental health?
In December 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Canada’s current “first generation” limits on citizenship violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Has the US immigration system earned its negative reputation and is Canada’s immigration system as welcoming as we think it is?
What degree of transparency should we expect from a government body that leverages AI to expedite processes that have a life-changing impact on thousands of people each year?
Immigrants make up over 25% of our population and form a critical component of Canada’s workforce. Under Canada’s new immigration plan, we hope to welcome 500,000 new immigrants per year. This could be a tall order as the inherently political nature of Canadian immigration law means frequent and far-reaching policy changes, often made with little to no warning. How can practitioners deal with this lack of legal continuity and help Canada welcome 1.5 million immigrants?