Corporate Immigration Law Firm
11 lawyers · City of Toronto, City of Ottawa, Montréal
One of 2,346 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 425 handling Immigration Law.
About Corporate Immigration Law Firm
Corporate Immigration Law Firm (CILF) is a Toronto based firm that practices exclusively in Canadian immigration law, working with corporations, executives, entrepreneurs, and their families on business and personal immigration matters. The firm was founded by Barbara Jo (BJ) Caruso, whose early career included work as a Canadian Customs Officer at Toronto's Pearson International Airport before being called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994. Caruso earned a BA from the University of Guelph and an LLB from the University of Windsor, then practiced as a partner at Gowling WLG before founding the immigration focused practice that grew into CILF.
CILF now operates from two Canadian offices, in Toronto and in Ottawa, and works with Montreal firm Galileo Partners on immigration matters in Quebec. Two lawyers at the firm, including the founder, hold Certified Specialist in Immigration and Citizenship Law designations from the Law Society of Ontario. The firm's work spans intra-company transfers, work permits, provincial nominee applications, permanent residence and citizenship files, and more complex matters such as inadmissibility cases and Federal Court judicial review applications. Caruso also co-authored two textbooks published by Carswell, the Annotated Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Annotated Citizenship Act.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Barbara Jo (BJ) Caruso, the firm's founder, was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994 after earning a BA from the University of Guelph and an LLB from the University of Windsor.
- Caruso practiced as a partner at Gowling WLG before founding the immigration focused practice that grew into CILF.
- Caruso co-authored two textbooks published by Carswell, the Annotated Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Annotated Citizenship Act.
- Canadian Lawyer named CILF one of Canada's Top 5 Immigration Boutique Firms in 2012, and later placed the firm in its Top 10 Immigration Boutique Firms lists in 2019, 2022, and 2024.
- The Globe and Mail included CILF on its Canada's Best Law Firms list for 2023 through 2026.
- CILF holds Gold Benefactor status with the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association, an organization Caruso founded.
In the community
- Caruso has served on the Canadian Bar Association's Immigration Law Section executive and held the position of Chair in 2017 and 2018.
- Caruso founded the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association and is a global member of the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers.
- Caruso has testified before a Senate committee on citizenship legislation and has presented at programs for the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Ontario, and the Conference Board of Canada.
- Caruso has been a guest lecturer at Seneca College.
Lawyers 11
Alexander Lei
Audrey Anne Chouinard
Lawyer, Galileo Partners
Immigration Law
Barbara Jo (BJ) Caruso
Founding Immigration Lawyer & Certified Immigration and Citizenship Law Specialist
Immigration Law
Daud Ali
Partner
Immigration Law
Francis Grignet
Lawyer, Galileo Partners
Immigration Law
Jacqueline Bonisteel
Partner – Ottawa Office & Certified Citizenship and Immigration Law Specialist
Immigration Law
Jean-Philippe Brunet
Managing Partner, Galileo Partners
Immigration Law
Mary Rose Farag
Immigration Lawyer – Toronto Office
Immigration Law
Nicolas Simard-Lafontaine
Lawyer, Galileo Partners
Immigration Law
Samanta Garcia Fialdini
Immigration Lawyer – Ottawa Office
Immigration Law
Shirin Mukherjee
Associate Partner
Immigration Law
Certified Specialists
A designation granted by the Law Society of Ontario, not a self-declared area of focus.
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1996–2024 · median 12 years in practice 7 of 11 lawyers
- Law schools
- Université de Sherbrooke (2), University of Ottawa (2), McGill University Faculty of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, Université de Montréal 7 of 11 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- Bengali, French, Hindi, Spanish
Who handles what
Offices 3
The neighbourhood
CILF's Ottawa office is on the top floor of a building on Centrepointe Drive in Nepean, Ottawa.
The firm's Toronto office is on Church Street in the city's downtown core. Between the two offices and its alliance with Montreal firm Galileo Partners, CILF reaches corporate and individual clients across Ontario and Quebec without maintaining a large network of branch offices.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of law does CILF practice?
- CILF practices exclusively in Canadian immigration law, handling business, family, and individual immigration matters for corporations, executives, entrepreneurs, and their families.
- Can CILF help a company transfer an employee to a Canadian office?
- Yes. CILF's business immigration work covers intra-company transfers, work permits, Labour Market Impact Assessments, and provincial nominee program applications for corporate clients.
- Does CILF handle permanent residence and citizenship applications?
- Yes, CILF assists with permanent residence and citizenship applications, including complex cases involving prior inadmissibility findings or a previous removal from Canada.
- My immigration application was refused, or I've been found inadmissible. Can CILF help?
- CILF handles inadmissibility cases involving criminal or medical issues and can bring Federal Court judicial review applications when a case calls for it.
- Where are CILF's offices located?
- CILF has offices in Toronto and in Ottawa, and works with Montreal firm Galileo Partners on immigration matters in Quebec.
- Can CILF assist French speaking clients?
- CILF's website is available in French, and the firm's alliance with Montreal firm Galileo Partners supports clients with immigration matters in Quebec.
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Business & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawImmigration LawListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗