Blanshay Law LLP
4 lawyers · Established 1998 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 425 handling Immigration Law.
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Blanshay Law LLP is a small immigration law firm on Gerrard Street East in downtown Toronto. Robert Israel Blanshay founded the practice in August 1998 as a solo shop, building it into a firm that now handles permanent residence, temporary residence, refugee, citizenship and inadmissibility matters. Blanshay is a graduate of McGill University and the Robson Hall Faculty of Law, was called to the Ontario bar in 1992, and became a Law Society of Ontario Certified Specialist in Immigration, Citizenship and Refugee Law in 2006.
The firm's litigation work runs before the Federal Court of Canada and every division of the Immigration and Refugee Board, including admissibility matters involving criminal, medical and misrepresentation allegations. Blanshay Law is a 2026 Lexpert ranked Canadian immigration law firm, and Blanshay is individually listed in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for immigration law as "Consistently Recommended." The firm also has decades of work within the 2SLGBTQI+ community, including asylum claims and same sex spousal sponsorship applications.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Robert Israel Blanshay founded the firm in August 1998, starting as a solo practice.
- Blanshay was called to the Ontario bar in 1992 and became a Law Society of Ontario Certified Specialist in Immigration, Citizenship and Refugee Law in 2006.
- Blanshay Law LLP is a 2026 ranked firm in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for immigration law, where Blanshay is listed as "Consistently Recommended."
- Blanshay served as Chair of the Canadian Bar Association's Ontario Immigration Law Section and later as Vice Chair, Refugee and Litigation Affairs, for the CBA's national immigration section.
- For the 2025/2026 term, Blanshay is serving as Senior Advisor, Refugee and Litigation Affairs, at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law.
- Blanshay has taught immigration law courses through York University's Professional Development program.
In the community
- The firm has represented same sex spousal sponsorship applicants and asylum claimants from the 2SLGBTQI+ community for more than 30 years.
Good to know
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Free consultationLawyers 4
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1992–2025 · median 8 years in practice 4 of 4 lawyers
- Law schools
- New York Law School, Osgoode Hall Law School, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, Robson Hall Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba 4 of 4 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- English, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, Urdu
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Blanshay Law's office is on Gerrard Street East, in the area of downtown Toronto known as the Garden District, where it meets Cabbagetown. This stretch of Gerrard Street is also home to Indigenous community and social service organizations, including Miziwe Biik and Anishnawbe Health Toronto. The Garden District takes its name from Allan Gardens, a park and conservatory that has been open to the public since 1860.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Blanshay Law handle refugee claims and hearings before the Immigration and Refugee Board?
- Yes. The firm has represented refugee claimants for more than 30 years and appears before all divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board, including hearings on admissibility issues such as criminal, medical and misrepresentation allegations.
- Can Blanshay Law help with a same sex spousal sponsorship or a 2SLGBTQI+ asylum claim?
- Yes. The firm has worked within the 2SLGBTQI+ community for more than 30 years, including asylum claims and same sex spousal sponsorship applications.
- My permanent residence or work permit application was refused. Can Blanshay Law help?
- The firm's litigation practice includes appeals and judicial reviews before the Federal Court of Canada for refusals across permanent residence, temporary residence and other immigration categories.
- Does Blanshay Law handle citizenship applications and refusals?
- Yes. The firm handles citizenship applications, refusals and certificate matters, along with passport applications and refusals.
- I'm facing removal from Canada. Can Blanshay Law take an urgent case?
- The firm asks that urgent matters, including imminent deportation, be raised by email so they can be triaged quickly. It notes that email correspondence is for information purposes only and confidential details shouldn't be sent that way.
- How long has Blanshay Law been practising immigration law in Toronto?
- Robert Israel Blanshay founded the firm in August 1998, and it has practised immigration, citizenship and refugee law from its Gerrard Street East office in Toronto ever since.
Where to find them
228 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5A 2E8 · 416-413-4955
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