Hon. Abdulrahman Kadiri is a barrister and solicitor of the Law Society of Ontario, Canada. He is certified as a professional in immigration and nationality law by the State, a designation that is held by a very small percentage of immigration practitioners in Canada based on their demonstrated knowledge in all aspects of Canadian immigration law.
In the past 2 years, after relocating from United Arab Emirate to Canada, Barrister Kadiri’s practice has focused on immigration, through which he has successfully represented hundreds of foreign nationals with their petitions based on investment with regional centers or individual businesses.
He also provides counsel to regional centers and developers with respect to preparing investment offerings suitable for funding for diverse Immigration category. He has been into real estate and properties for over 10 years but later decided to focus on immigration law and related practice.
He also has significant experience in other areas of Canadian immigration law, including employment- and family-based immigration, waivers of inadmissibility, citizenship, and naturalization and motions/appeals before the Immigration Court and Board of Immigration Appeals. He has provided pro bono representation to indigent clients referred by a local and international organization.
City People GM Production, WAHAB BASHIR, and the Online Editor, SEUN JOSEPH had an exclusive interview with the immigration expert, while he was in Nigeria for a short visit and he said a lot about the benefits of relocating to Canada and the simplicity of the process, going through his counseling.
Read Excerpts
Sir, do you still run the real estate business with the immigration consultancy?
No. Now I’m a full-time lawyer. More into investment and relocation of people to Canada.
What are the opportunities therein for people who are desirous of leaving Nigeria to Canada?
First and foremost, Canada is one of the best countries in the world. In the last 10 years, 20 years, Canada has been between number one to five out of the best countries in the world. This is not just hearsay. You can verify it. In the last world index, we saw it.
Canada is number three after Switzerland and Japan. And when we are talking about the best country in the world we are not just talking about buildings, we are talking about the general index, and that is for this year education, health accommodation, security, transportation, everything. When you put it all together, Canada is the 3rd in the world. And that is for this year. Some other year, it has been number one, some other year it has been number 4.
So, if you are a businessman or you are a worker, all the opportunities are there, but most importantly for the young ones, is education, because of Canada education is one of the best in the world.
And that is even one of the reasons why I migrated from Dubai to Canada. I lived in Dubai for ten years before I move my children over because I promise my children to gain admission into the university, I will move them to Canada in order for them to benefit from the first class education facilities.
So, there are so many advantages, depending on what you want to achieve and even at my age, I have to start a new law practice altogether. I had to go through the qualification exams. I used to study for about 18 hours a day in order to pass the exams, and to the glory of God. Even if you have 5 SANs in Nigeria, once you are not trained in Canada, you must pass through the exam.
If you are a medical doctor, and you want to practice, you must pass through the exam. If you are an Engineer and you want to practice in Canada, No matter what part of the world you are coming from, you have to pass through the Canadian system and standard.
Canada is a place that you can go to school and score 75 percent, and they tell you, you cannot pass to the next level, because you’ll find out that in that class, almost every student is scoring 100 percent. And these are genuine 100 percent. It’s got a very very high standard that its only appreciated when you are in the system. Then you want to talk about health, they have one of the best, especially for kids.
Cancer research, all forms of the disease in kids and old men are being researched every day. They want to get to the topmost level of healthcare in the world. Security too, I can drive from here with my eyes closed to Sokoto and back if I were in Canada even if its 2 am in the morning. I’m not scared. Because everywhere is secured. Everywhere vis peaceful then, above all the love for one another.
Canada takes individuals as human beings and the government cares for all persons when they’re in Canada and the Canadians themselves care for one another. There’s mutual love for each other because almost 75 percent of people living in Canada are immigrants from different part of the world.
In fact, Canada is a truly united nation. It’s a true bonding ground for all people to of the world whether you are black, you are white, yellow, green, blue..whether you are short, you are tall, you are Moslem, Christian, atheist, whether you are lesbian, bisexual, gay, whoever, Canada is the meeting point for all people of the world. So there’s this bonding love for one another.
How would explain the skills, semi-skilled and artisans opportunity in Canada?
Yes, as you said, there are different immigration program, in which category you fall into. There are different immigration programs. First, we have what they call the federal express program. This program is for skilled workers and semi-skilled workers. The skilled workers are mainly professionals; lawyers, doctors, engineers, journalists, accountants can apply under the skilled program.
And if you meet the requirement of the program, then, you migrate to Canada, but you have to qualify in terms of age, in terms of education, for that, you have to have a minimum of first degree or OND, and there-there different category of professions that are required under the skilled program.
Aside from this, we also have the federal trade program, that’s if you have a trade certificate; like the people who go to technical schools but you must have a certificate, that is the Trade Test Certificate because I have seen a lot of people come to us and say, I’m a plumber, I’m an Engineer, I’m Carpenter, but they did not attend any technical school.
In Canada, you must be certificated to carry out any business. So, if a person has a trade technical certificate, he even stands a better chance, because most of those people are needed. Artisans, plumbers, electricians painters; they are needed but, you can’t learn it locally and get a chance.
Then we have the main one which is the investors. Business investors. These are for people who have the necessary financial capacity. So certain provinces in Canada will say if you have XYZ amount which is an average of 500,000 Canadian dollars, if your network is 500,000 minimum, and out of this, you have at least 250,000 to invest, or 150,000 in that province, you can apply under the investment business programs according to the province’s requirements. We will now help you get the necessary forms, fill out the requirements and if you are selected by that Province, they will write a letter on your behalf to the federal.
The federal will now start processing your visa, so you can migrate under that program too. So, basically, these are the 3 major immigration programs for matured people. But you know there is also the student visa. If you are a student and you qualify, you gain admission, we can process your visa for you and you will come to Canada.
And the beauty of the student visa is that once you come into Canada to school for 2 or 3 years. You know Canada runs not less than 2,3 academic sessions, you can now apply at the conclusion of your academic program that you want to extend your stay. The important thing is for you to qualify for anything in Canada, you have to follow the due process. You have to follow the legal system, and you don’t have to bribe anybody.
There is this belief that after spending four to five years either as a student or worker, you can process and get a permanent residence?
It’s not that it is automatic. But its almost always granted, like I said, once you have schooled for 2 or 3 academic sessions, you are due to be part of the system and you now say, hey Canada, I have schooled here and I love Canada.
I don’t want to go back, I want to remain here. First, you have to go through people like us who are professionals. We will file an application for the extension of your visa. Because mind you, throughout your stay as a student, you are only entitled to student visa, once you compete for your academic session, that student visa is no longer relevant, and if you don’t apply for extension or change of status, you have to leave Canada, so we always advise our clients, once it’s about expiring, we apply for a change of visa where you now have to change your student’s visa to temporary residence visa, because until you get all the papers right to qualify for the PR ( Permanent resident) visa, you are referred to as temporary immigrant.
So, when you get a job, we now go through the system and say, our client is now converting from temporary residence visa to permanent residence visa. Now you have to show the paper that proves you have a job and that you have the Canadian expertise to work in Canada.
That is when your date will now start counting towards accumulating the necessary residency days that will enable you to become a Canadian citizen. That time you came, you were just a temporal visitor, and as a student, you are under a student visa. Bu for that temporary period, two days will count as a day for you.
That is why it is important to make use of a professional when you are applying. When you go to their website, they tell you, you can fill it all on your own, but they know what they are looking for and once you made a mistake, that form goes to the trash can.
Even I, as a lawyer, while I was trying to move to Canada, I was already about 25 years as a lawyer, but I went to hire a lawyer in Canada. I didn’t say because I am a senior lawyer, I will fill the form for myself. No. I hired a lawyer to fill my application for me and it as successful. And I was really surprised but very happy. Because after I moved to Canada, many of my friends who applied couldn’t get it. But I did because I hired a professional lawyer in Canada.
Why did you choose this part of legal practice?
This is a full-blown practice. You see, the difference between Canada and Nigeria is that you have to specialize. When you are called to the bar, you have to choose the area of practice that you want to feel convenient with.
On my card, you’ll see immigration and refugee law, mental health law, business law, criminal law, and family law. So immigration and refugee law is a very key aspect of my practice. And as a business lawyer, I have always focus on immigration for business people, so I am able to advise my clients who are business who want to migrate to Canada to settle. I will give them A to Z guidelines without wasting their time.
I know what you are going to pass through and what is required, if you meet them we start processing right away, if you don’t meet them, I’ll tell you, point blank. So, that is one of the inspiration, to help people. So, when you come to the general aspect of immigration practice, Nigerians sometimes we come when it’s late.
Canada was built on the sweat, labour, expertise of immigrants from all parts of the worked. When you go to some parts of Canada, of some pure white men you think they are white will tell you they originate from Dutch, some from Ireland, some from India, some from Mexico, Brazil. Only a few can tell you the same in Nigeria.
We are just in the first phase of migration, but luckily, we are setting the pace. Right now Raptors in NBA just won the MBA Champions for the first time as a non-American country. From the first time in history, the MBA championship has moved from America to Canada, but to luckily, the manager Raptors is a Nigerian boy.
Masai Ujiri is Nigerian born, so Nigerians are setting the pace everywhere. In that team, 5 of their key players are Africans. There is even a Nigerian boy in the team but he was injured during the playoffs.
So, we have the opportunity to live in one of the most civilized countries in the world.
If there are people who are genuinely qualify, it’s my pleasure, my duty to assist them as a lawyer. Migration is part of human nature and civilization. If God wanted us to stand still, he will not order Moses to move his people. Look at the Europeans, the migrated all the way from Europe to Africa, even for some other motive. Africans go to holy land through the desert. Traders go from the north to the east to the south and to the west.
The origin of Company law was because of human migration. When the Salomon brothers started trading in the far east, they will contribute money from people to go on the voyage to the far east. So they formed a company to help people and put the money together and start trading.
When you go into Silk roads, the silk routes where the people of China will carry their silk all the way to a different part of the world. The Indians, the voyages of the world, if there was no migration, a human being will not think of better ways of transportation. We are only taking advantage of the laws of human civilization because right now, Nigeria allows you to have dual citizenship.
Luckily, Canada allows you to have dual citizenship too. So, if you migrate from Nigeria, you go to Canada, you get a Canadian passport, it doesn’t mean that your Nigerian passport is useless, it also doesn’t mean the Canadian passport is useless. You can interchange both. If you are coming to Nigeria, you don’t need the Visa, you bring out your Nigerian passport.
If you are coming back to Canada, you also don’t need a visa, you just bring out your Canadian Passport. I don’t need a visa to enter America. I don’t need a visa to enter Europe. I don’t need a visa to enter about 75 percent of the countries of the world.
What is sweeter than that? That I can just wake up, take my passport, and chose to go anywhere. The other day, I wanted to hold a meeting in Dubai with the client in Dubai, I told him to meet in me in Dubai and he said the there is no time because he had no visa. I just told him, ‘ You don’t need a visa, you have the Canadian passport.”
He wasn’t even sure, but I assured him that his Canadian passport alone is enough. When we got to Dubai they just checked his passport and check in. and that was all.
So these are the advantages. In fact, in the new world business, people want to have a second passport, especially from a civilized country like Canada. So it’s only those who are myopic that doesn’t know the importance. They are now running away. They can come back to invest after wide exposure.
One time I was in Toronto, I boarded a car. The driver happens to be a Kenyan, so he told me he was about 66-67 years old, so I said that means he will soon retire back home. He said, “where? What do you mean? Instead of relocating back to Canada, I’d rather stay here and enjoy the old people’s benefits.
There are better healthcare facilities, there are better transportation facilities, better security and if he becomes too old, he will check himself into old peoples’ home.
The mayor of my city was 92 years old and she was still a mayor. At that age she still drives herself, you go to some offices in Canada and you see an old man of 80, he’s the shop attendant. Some the whole system is organized in such a way that if you want to enter the system, you will benefit from it.
I have been driving in Canada for many years and a policeman has never stopped me for once. No one has ever asked me for my driver’s license. Because once you comply with the system, no one will harass you. You don’t need to bribe any person. Everything is programmed.
Can you give us a brief of your background sir?
I’m a Nigerian born. I was born some years back, soon after Nigeria’s independent. I’m from Ibeanaife, Auchi area of Edo, I grew up there before coming to Lagos. I went to CMS Grammar school. The first secondary school in West Africa, founded in 1856, and I was the representative of the school in the John F Kenedy contest.
So, I’m a John F Kennedy Scholar. After that, I went to the great Ife. The University of Ife between 1980 and 1983. After I graduated I went to law school. Got called to the bar in 1984, I did my youth corps, came back to start practicing. Luckily to the glory of God, I got employed in the law firm of major general IBM Haruna and I was the head of chambers for many years. And that law practice was very interesting and developing, we had less than four law firms in the whole of Victoria island.
Later I went into politics. Contested election and to the glory of God, I won my election and became a member of the federal house of representative in the 3rd republic. Later the army boys kicked us out and I went back to my first love which is law.
So after I left the national assembly. I opened the chambers of AR Kadiri and Co, and to the glory of God, we took it to a very high level. Most of the banks were very kind to me. They retained me as their solicitors. I became an expert in debt recovery. Helping the bank to recover most of the bad loans. Then I moved into the property business. Although I was doing that from my childhood because I was helping my father to manage most of his properties here in Lagos.
So when the opportunity came, I went to Dubai, and to God be the Glory, Dubai was a great blessing because I started selling a lot of properties all over the world. For Nigerians, for Chinese, for British, so I lived in Dubai before I decided to move on. My plan was to relocate to Canada. Pass through the process and to the glory of God, I become a barrister and solicitor of the Law Society of Ontario, Canada in good standing.
Any intention to return to politics in the future?
Well, anything is possible. I don’t rule out coming back to it, but right now, I’m enjoying my law practice and I love what I’m doing. This is also politics; helping people, assisting people to achieve their dreams.
