Refugee Claims
We provide support with your refugee claim from start to finish, helping you tell your story, gather documents, prepare and file your application. We represent you before the IRB.
Humanitarian & Compassionate Applications
We guide you through Humanitarian & Compassionate applications with care and precision, building a compelling case based on establishment, hardship, and the best interests of affected family members.
Family Sponsorship
We help reunite families with sponsorship applications for spouse, child, parent, or grandparent, providing solid support throughout the process.
Temporary Status
We assist with temporary visas, study permits, work permits, temporary resident permits and renewals, helping you navigate the available pathways to securing your immigration status.
Removal Orders
If you are facing removal, we work to protect your rights by assessing your case and advising on next steps, including deferral requests and stay of removal applications before the Federal Court.
Permanent Residence and Citizenship
We provide support with permanent residence and citizenship applications, from standard cases to more complex matters, assessing eligibility, calculating physical presence, and preparing effective and thorough submissions.
Inadmissibility
We assist with inadmissibility cases involving criminality, misrepresentation, or security concerns, by developing a strong response and legal strategies to best advocate for your rights.
Application Delays
We challenge unreasonable delays in your application by preparing demand letters and, where necessary, filing Mandamus applications with the Federal Court to ensure your file is duly processed.
Judicial Review
When reconsideration is denied or administrative options are exhausted, we challenge negative decisions through Judicial Review at the Federal Court. We represent refugee claimants and immigration applicants seeking a fair reassessment of their case.
Refusals and Procedural Fairness
We provide advice and support when your application is refused or challenged, whether the issue arises from more simple omissions and innocent mistakes or stems from more complicated cases.
About
Principal Lawyer & Founder
Thiago’s practice focuses on refugee law, immigration litigation, and personal immigration. He brings a thoughtful, culturally sensitive approach shaped by his diverse legal background and international experience.
He previously worked in legal and administrative roles at Brazil’s Attorney-General’s Office (Ministério Público Federal) and Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General. Passionate about social justice, Thiago earned his first law degree and a Master’s in Fundamental Rights in Brazil, where he also joined the Brazilian Bar Association and taught law.
After immigrating to Canada, he graduated with honours from an Immigration Consultant program and was licensed by CICC (then ICCRC), following his role as Executive Assistant to the Chief Legal Officer & Chief Negotiator at the Canadian Media Producers’ Association.
Thiago also earned both a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) and a Juris Doctor (JD) from McGill University. He completed internships with The Refugee Centre, McGill’s Legal Information Clinic, the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations and Pro Bono Students Canada.
Prior to founding Machado Law – Refugee & Immigration, Thiago articled at Legal Aid Ontario’s Refugee Law Office, working with expert immigration practitioners on matters before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, the Federal Court, and on applications to IRCC and CBSA.
Thiago is passionate about multiculturalism, world music, jogging and languages.. He is fluent in English and Portuguese, with working proficiency in Spanish and French.
Our Foundation
Machado Law – Refugee & Immigration was founded on a simple principle: a person’s wellbeing is intrinsically connected to their immigration status, needs, and goals.
Premised on this belief, we advocate for lawful belonging in an strong and free land: an inclusive Canada—because strength without freedom is meaningless, and freedom without strength cannot endure.
We believe strength lies in our shared humanity, in the richness of diversity, and in the beauty of coexistence. To stand on guard for this nation is to defend the values it is rooted in—above all, multiculturalism.
Our firm was born from the realization that too many individuals are often unaware of their immigration pathways or simply lost in a complex legal system without true trusted guidance.
We are not here to simply process applications—we are here to defend lives and life choices. From asylum seeking to families reuniting to inadmissibility countering, we combine rigorous legal strategy with a human-centred approach, prioritizing dignity above all.
Your dignity and wellbeing are inseparable from your immigration needs—and those needs are our priority.
Consultations are available in person or virtually, by appointment only.
15 Wellesley Street West
Suite 201
Toronto, ON
M4Y 0G7
Services
We provide a full range of immigration legal services, supporting you at every stage of your journey with clear guidance and dedicated representation.