Stronger immigration cases begin with research
A client walks into an immigration lawyer’s office with a score of 600 under Manitoba’s provincial nominee system. They have spent months preparing to build a life in Canada and want to know whether permanent residence is within reach.
Dr. Muhammad Abrar points to the draw history, where general cut-offs have not dipped below roughly 800 in three years, and says the odds are slim.
Recent general selection rounds, he explains, have required scores considerably higher than 600. Unless the applicant qualifies through an occupation-specific pathway, the prospects are poor. Abrar would rather tell them that immediately than encourage an application he believes has little chance of succeeding.
This approach has become central to his practice at A&M Canadian Immigration Law Corp., the Winnipeg-based firm he founded in 2019. At a time when Canadian immigration policies are becoming more restrictive, Abrar believes sound legal advice depends increasingly on understanding where the government is directing its limited admissions capacity and recognizing when a client’s circumstances do not fit those priorities.
His methodology draws heavily on statistical analysis, academic research, and the study of judicial decisions. It also reflects a more personal conviction about professional responsibility: a lawyer’s credibility depends as much on the cases they decline as those they accept.
Dr Abrar calls this research-informed methodology “Digits Speak,” reflecting his belief that immigration advice should be grounded in verifiable data, careful analysis, and an understanding of changing immigration policies.
For Abrar, who holds a PhD in law from the University of Glasgow and has more than two decades of international legal experience, that discipline has shaped the development of a practice committed exclusively to Canadian immigration.
Reading the direction of immigration policy
Canada’s immigration system has undergone considerable adjustments, with tighter admission targets and greater emphasis on applicants who meet particular labour market needs or already have Canadian experience. For prospective immigrants, knowing that a program exists is no longer sufficient. Its recent selection history can be just as important as its formal eligibility requirements.
Abrar has developed statistical tracking systems covering Express Entry and the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, examining selection rounds, category-specific invitations, and historical patterns to assess how applicants may fare under current conditions.
The patterns, he says, are where the advice lives. A new physician-focused immigration measure reserves 5,000 additional federal admission spaces for doctors nominated by provinces and territories. Close-relative draws in Manitoba, by contrast, have gone quiet. The overseas streams have effectively stalled: the last Manitoba Skilled Worker Overseas draw was in December 2023, and the last Federal Skilled Worker draw was in April 2024.
That same commitment to evidence has produced another substantial undertaking at A&M: a dedicated Canadian Immigration Case Law Library, developed to make Federal Court decisions more accessible and useful in the preparation of immigration applications.
Organized by subject and month, the publicly available library brings together judicial decisions and case briefs covering study permits, post-graduation work permits, spousal sponsorship, temporary resident visas, and procedural fairness, among other matters. The summaries examine the circumstances of each dispute, the legal issues raised, the court’s reasoning, and the eventual outcome.
For Abrar, the library's practical value lies in identifying how courts have interpreted immigration requirements and assessed the reasoning behind refusals. Decisions involving insufficient financial evidence, questions about temporary residence intentions, or concerns over an applicant’s credibility can reveal where an application may require stronger documentation or a more carefully developed legal argument.
The resource is also integrated into the firm’s research process. When an unfamiliar or particularly complicated matter arises, Abrar can ask his team to retrieve relevant decisions, compare judicial reasoning, and assess whether the circumstances support a particular application strategy. Monthly updates help the firm remain informed about newer rulings, while the subject-specific organization makes previous research easier to retrieve.
The library also has a wider purpose. By making the material available to lawyers, immigration consultants, and applicants, Abrar hopes to improve access to legal knowledge that can inform immigration decisions well beyond his own practice.
Bringing academic discipline into legal practice Abrar’s doctoral training shows up in how he builds files. Years spent conducting legal research have influenced how he evaluates evidence, interprets legislation, and prepares arguments intended to withstand scrutiny.
The pressure on applicants has increased. According to IRCC, the refusal rate for new study permit applications rose from 52 percent in 2024 to 59 percent in 2025, making the quality of an application especially consequential.
Study permits are one example. Abrar describes spending approximately four months developing a comprehensive framework for preparing study plans and Statements of Purpose (SOPs). The framework emphasizes individualized explanations of an applicant's academic background, program selection, financial circumstances, future career objectives, and temporary residence intentions. Each element is intended to help establish a coherent account of the applicant’s circumstances and respond to potential concerns before an immigration officer makes a decision.
Abrar says this more detailed approach has significantly improved his firm’s study permit approval rates, even as restrictions on international student admissions have increased.
He has applied similar research methods to reconsideration requests and judicial reviews. One case involved a prospective doctoral student from the Middle East whose study permit application had been refused. Rather than preparing a new application, Abrar submitted a reconsideration request and says the applicant subsequently received a favourable decision.
Spotlight
The analysis helps him identify which routes are receiving attention and which have seen prolonged periods of inactivity. It also allows him to challenge assumptions that may have been reasonable only a few years earlier.
For example, a candidate overseas may satisfy the basic criteria of a federal immigration program but face limited opportunities if recent selection rounds have overwhelmingly favoured other categories. Abrar uses those distinctions to explain why technical eligibility does not necessarily translate into a realistic prospect of receiving an invitation.
His assessments are not guarantees about future policy. Governments can change selection criteria and priorities. Yet historical data provides a more defensible starting point than relying on isolated success stories or general expectations.
A&M Canadian Immigration Law Corporation is a Winnipeg-based immigration law firm founded by Dr. Muhammad Abrar, PhD (Law), Canadian barrister & solicitor. The firm focuses exclusively on Canadian immigration and serves clients across Canada and internationally. A&M’s practice includes temporary residence, study and work permits, permanent residence, Express Entry, provincial nominee programs, family sponsorship, citizenship, refusals, procedural fairness matters, reconsiderations, appeals, and Federal Court judicial review. The firm combines legal representation with immigration data analysis, case law research, and public education. A&M emphasizes transparent communication, personalized legal guidance, and evidence-based strategies while helping clients understand the legal requirements and considerations affecting their immigration matters.
Company Profile
20+
Professionals, articling students, analysis, and client-care staff across the firm
20+
Years of legal experience
1
Dedicated immigration case law library
100%
Immigration-focused practice
1,400+
Five-star Google reviews from clients
Bio
Spotlight
Milestones
Company Profile
Background
More than 20 years of international legal experience
Dr. Muhammad Abrar
Barrister & Solicitor at A&M Canadian Immigration Law
Dr. Muhammad Abrar of A&M Canadian Immigration Law uses immigration statistics, judicial decisions, and rigorous preparation to build stronger applications as Canada’s selection policies become increasingly restrictive
Read on
Share
IN Partnership with
2005
2007
2012
2019
2020s
2026
Began a professional journey spanning legal practice, academia, research, and international law
2005
Began PhD in law, University of Glasgow
2007
Completed PhD in law, researching electronic media regulation and enforcement through comparative legal analysis
2012
Called to the Manitoba bar & founded A&M Canadian Immigration Law Corporation, establishing A&M in Winnipeg with a dedicated focus on Canadian immigration law and providing accessible legal guidance
2019
Developed data-driven immigration analysis, educational content, and community initiatives designed to improve public understanding of Canada’s immigration system
2020s
Established a dedicated Canadian Immigration Case Law Library, creating a centralized resource for Federal Court decisions and legal developments in Canadian immigration
2026
Milestones
Published Nov 9, 2026
Find out more
Find out more
approach
Academic and research-based perspective to Canadian immigration law, combining legal practice with data analysis, research, and case law study
Dr. Abrar is the author of Pakistani Media Law: A Comparative Study, published by Oxford University Press in 2016
Here, the Case Law Library provides another layer of support, allowing the firm to examine how courts have dealt with comparable refusals and determine whether there may be grounds for reconsideration or judicial review.
Although research plays a central role in his practice, Abrar also recognizes the value of professional collaboration. He consults other experienced immigration lawyers and seeks additional perspectives on complex legal issues when appropriate.
He is selective about the types of matters his firm accepts, avoiding work where he believes improper arrangements, questionable documentation, or potential misrepresentation could compromise the integrity of an application.
A reputation built on difficult decisions Abrar says the more restrictive immigration environment has coincided with increased demand for his firm’s services. He attributes that partly to applicants becoming more careful about choosing legal representation as familiar immigration pathways become less predictable.
His firm now has a support team of more than 25 people, according to Abrar, with employees from several countries contributing to research, operations, and public education. Yet he remains reluctant to promise clients outcomes that ultimately depend on government authorities.
Abrar’s statistical tracking, standardized application frameworks and organized case law research allow his team to work from a common body of information while keeping legal assessments grounded in the circumstances of individual files.
That trust also informs the firm’s willingness to acknowledge that straightforward immigration applications may not require a lawyer. Abrar believes applicants capable of preparing their own documentation should understand that option rather than assume professional representation is always necessary.
What he will not trade Education is the other pillar of the practice. Beyond client work, Abrar has invested in lectures, community education, and mentoring aspiring immigration lawyers.
The Case Law Library extends that educational effort, giving aspiring practitioners and more experienced professionals access to organized legal research they can use to deepen their understanding of Canadian immigration law.
Abrar sees such outcomes as an extension of his professional responsibility. He wants more lawyers, particularly from
immigrant communities, to develop the research skills and specialist knowledge the field demands. For him, integrity is not a
marketing line but a standard that guides his work and the continued growth of his firm.
PUBLICATION