GMS Consular Section Call (January 2026)
| Event Date: 01/28/2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Format | Length | CLE Eligible |
| Zoom Webinar | TBD | No |
Navigating Inadmissibility: Practical Insights from Global Consular Officers
Note: This program will not include any U.S. consular Officers. Please submit all questions in advance to sections@aila.org. Only questions received by the submission deadline will be addressed by the speakers. The deadline to submit questions is Monday, January 26, 2026. When submitting, please include "GMS Consular Section Call" in the subject line.
AILA members are invited to a 75-minute conversation with consular officers from around the world on how their consular posts assess, process, and resolve cases involving inadmissibility. This session will move beyond the statutory context to focus on how decisions are made in practice and what effective advocacy looks like in real-world settings. This session aims to address the challenges, risks, and practical considerations that consular officers consider when assessing immigration applications involving criminal records.
Featured Topics of the Consular Panel include:
- Frameworks of Inadmissibility
- Overcoming Inadmissibility: Tools & Strategies
- Volume, Trends & Processing Realities
- Procedural Fairness & Consular Practice
- Practical Guidance for Practitioners
Sadaf Kashfi (Moderator), Vancouver, Canada
Francisca Corti, Santiago, Chile
Chetal Patel, GMS Steering Committee Immediate Past Chair, London, U.K.
Pavan Dhillon, Seattle, WA
U.K. Consular Official: Ciarán Hanley, Head of Visa Outreach North America & the Caribbean Visa, Status and Information Services
Canadian Consular Official: Matthew Paradis, Consul (Migration Program Manager / Gestionnaire du programme de migration)
