Education

Andrew Wlodyka was born in Canada of Polish parents. He graduated from UBC with Bachelor’s degrees in International Relations and in Law, and was called to the Bar in B.C. in 1978.

Practice

Andrew represents individuals and corporations in all aspects of Canadian immigration, including independent, family and business immigration, Work and Student Permits, and visitor visas.

Andrew heads the litigation team at Lowe & Company, and he handles Appeals at all divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Court of Canada, and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Andrew’s expertise in the immigration and citizenship area has been recognized by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (www.lexpert.ca), and he is repeatedly recommended to clients by his colleagues in the legal profession.

Tenure with the Immigration and Refugee Board

In July, 1986 Andrew was appointed to the Immigration Appeal Board, where he decided many refugee claims, deportation and sponsorship appeals. Then in 1989, Andrew was promoted to be the Assistant Deputy Chair of the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board. In that position, Andrew supervised the Vancouver based members of the Appeal Division, and wrote more decisions than any other IAD member.

Leadership positions with the Legal Profession

Andrew is one of the founding members and past Chairperson of the Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch. He is the Chairperson of the Overseas Committee of that Immigration Section. Andrew has also served in the capacity of Member at Large for the National Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association.

Contribution to Legal Education

Andrew frequently teaches Immigration Law courses for the National and Provincial Immigration Lawyers Sections of the Canadian Bar Association, as well as for the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, the People’s Law School, and Insight Information Inc. He also teaches courses for the Certification Program for Immigration Practitioners, offered through a program organized by the University of British Columbia and Seneca College of Ontario.

Andrew is Associate Editor of the Immigration Law Reporter published by Carswell, a leading immigration law publisher in Canada. He has written extensively on Immigration related topics, for the Immigration Law Reporter and for local newspapers. He has also written a Guide about practice before the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Community Service

Andrew is active within the Community. He is General Counsel both to the B.C. Branch of the Canadian Polish Congress, and the Polish Veterans Association Branch in Vancouver. He has also acted as counsel on behalf of the Polish Consulate in Vancouver on various immigration and estate matters, and was awarded a Gold Medal by the Canadian Polish Congress in recognition of work within the community.

Andrew has served as President of the Vancouver Multicultural Society and Folkfest. He was for many years the Producer of the Polish Television Program at Rogers Cable.