Senior Leadership & Immigration Lawyers

John Matkowsky

Partner & Immigration Consultant

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John is the founding partner of Matkowsky Immigration and he practices in all areas of immigration law, particularly focusing on more complex immigration cases. Earlier in his career he worked in the financial markets as a Chartered Investment Manager and trader for large Canadian Banks and Private Family Trusts. John transitioned from helping individuals and families manage their investments to helping them immigrate to Canada under investor and business immigration programs.  Today, John practices in all areas of immigration law, helping clients make Canada home.

Natalie Domazet

Senior Immigration Lawyer - Senior Team Lead

Natalie practices in all areas of immigration and refugee law, specializing in litigation at the Federal Court and IRB. Her extensive experience includes representation in admissibility hearings, family sponsorship appeals, removal order appeals, detention reviews, residency obligations appeals, refugee hearings and refugee appeals, along with judicial review and stay of removal matters.

Natalie gained invaluable experience working for CBSA for over a decade at Pearson International Airport, the Enforcement Division and acting as a Minister's Counsel representing the government in IRB hearings.

Amanda Mitchell

Senior U.S. and Canadian
Immigration Lawyer - U.S. Team Lead

Amanda has extensive knowledge and experience handling various U.S. and Canadian immigration matters, including employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant petitions, family-based immigration, citizenship and naturalization, and U.S. inadmissibility issues. She has determined immigration strategies and provided legal guidance to multinational corporations, small businesses and individuals operating across many different industries.

Prior to practicing immigration law, Amanda worked as a defense litigator in New York representing commercial companies, real estate management companies, municipal entities, and major insurance carriers.

Shameika Hue

Immigration Lawyer

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Shameika obtained her Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from Ryerson University.  She has experience litigating immigration matters at the  Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) and the Federal Court. Shameika helps clients with refugee matters, judicial reviews, applications for temporary residence, permanent residence, humanitarian and compassionate applications, and spousal sponsorships.

Shameika is passionate about assisting her clients regarding their immigration matters. Her diverse legal background has allowed her to appreciate how different areas of law overlap which has strengthened her advocacy and has allowed her to adopt unique solutions for her clients.

Amanat Sandhu

Immigration Lawyer

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Amanat has extensive experience across a wide variety of immigration matters including study permits, work permits, temporary and permanent residence applications, and judicial review applications.

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Amanat received her Canadian and American Dual Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Prior to law school, Amanat received a Master of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from York University.

​​Amanat is fluent in Punjabi and is currently in the process of obtaining her license to practice law in the US.

Mackenzie Stern

Immigration Lawyer

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Mackenzie obtained her Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School and an Honours Bachelor of Sciences degree from the University of Guelph.

Mackenzie has experience in a wide variety of complex immigration matters, including study permits, LMIAs, work permits, spousal sponsorship, citizenship, temporary and permanent residence applications, responses to procedural fairness letters, and judicial review applications.

Mackenzie is passionate about helping clients achieve meaningful changes in their lives. She aims to ensure her clients make well-informed decisions and feel comfortable with the Canadian immigration process.

Sonia Akilov

Partner & Immigration Lawyer

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Sonia has extensive experience litigating complex immigration cases at the  Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) and the Federal Court. She also assists corporate clients to obtain work permits for foreign workers.Sonia graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, and gained immigration experience at Green & Spiegel and KPMG law before joining Matkowsky Immigration.

Gina You

Immigration Lawyer - Senior Team Lead

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Gina is the Team Lead at our firm and helps manage the firm's associate lawyers. She represents clients in matters dealing with immigration appeals, CBSA removal orders, criminal, medical and misrepresentation inadmissibility, family sponsorships, economic immigration, study permits, and LMIAs & work permits.

Gina graduated from Windsor Law School and gained indispensable previous immigration law experience prior to joining our firm.

Sam Zimmerman

Immigration Lawyer - Senior Team Lead

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Sam practices in all areas of immigration law. His work includes drafting arguments for complex immigration cases and helping clients with previous visa refusals, Judicial Review at the Federal Court, responses to procedural fairness letters, inadmissibility issues, appeals, and CBSA deferral requests. Sam gained valuable experience working for a well reputed immigration law firm, Mamann, Sandaluk, Kingwell, before joining our firm.  Sam graduated from Western University Law School after completing a Masters degree and an Undergraduate degree from Queens Univeristy.

Kriti Gupta

Immigration Lawyer

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Kriti obtained her Canadian and American Dual Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law and the University of Detroit Mercy. Kriti also holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from York University.
 

Kriti has experience in a wide variety of immigration matters including study permits, work permits, temporary and permanent residence applications, spousal sponsorship, citizenship and refugee matters.

Prior to joining Matkowsky Immigration Law, Kriti gained extensive experience at a boutique immigration law firm in Toronto. Kriti also had the opportunity to work at a legal clinic, helping clients with their immigration law matters.

Katherine Filewych

Immigration Lawyer

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Katherine earned her Juris Doctor from the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Additionally, Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
 

Katherine practices in all areas of Canadian immigration law. Her experience includes, but is not limited to, Judicial Review at the Federal Court, assisting clients with previous visa refusals, drafting arguments for complex immigration cases, responses to procedural fairness letters, inadmissibility issues, temporary and permanent residence applications, spousal sponsorship, citizenship, and refugee matters.