Founding Partner & Certified Immigration and Citizenship Law Specialist

Barbara Jo (BJ) Caruso

Barbara Jo (BJ) is the founder of Corporate Immigration Law Firm Professional Corporation. She has practiced immigration law for over twenty-five years and is a Certified Specialist in Immigration and Citizenship Law by the Law Society of Ontario. Prior to founding the firm she was a partner at a national law firm in Toronto. Her early professional experience includes working as a Canadian Customs Officer at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.Barbara Jo is a sought-after expert on Canadian immigration matters. She is the Co-author of two leading text books published by Carswell; Annotated Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Annotated Citizenship Act. She has been a member of the Canadian Bar Association Immigration Law Section Executive for the past 10 years, including holding the position of Chair in 2017-2018.

Education, Affiliations & Contributions

University of Guelph, BA, 1989
University of Windsor, LLB 1992
Law Clerk -Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories Fall 1991
Called to the Bar of Ontario, 1994
Former Partner, Gowling WLG

Certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Immigration and Citizenship Law,
Canadian Bar Association Immigration Law Section – Executive, September 2009 to present
Global Member of the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers
Founder, Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association

Past Contributor to the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship Bulletin, published by Thomson Reuters
Appearances before the Senate Committee hearings with respect to Citizenship legislation.
Presenter at the Ontario Justice Education Network

Past Member, Ontario Bar Association Executive—Immigration Law Section
Past presenter at CBA, OBA, Law Society of Ontario, Canadian Institute and Conference Board of Canada CLE programs.
Guest Lecturer at Seneca College
Band 1, Chambers – Canada – Immigration