Counsel
Elsa Agostinho
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Languages
- English
- French
Contact information
Elsa serves as Counsel in Fragomen’s Montreal office, where she guides clients through complex Canadian and Quebec immigration laws and policies. She works closely with senior business leaders, HR teams and in-house counsel to ensure the right work permits and visas are in place to support urgent talent and project demands, as well as long-term workforce planning. Elsa advises multinational companies across a number of industries to address labour shortages, build recruitment strategies and manage workforce mobility in high-stakes, time sensitive environments. In addition to ensuring corporate compliance during cross-border work, global mobility and business travel, she guides individuals and families through temporary or permanent relocation to Canada.
Recognizing immigration law as a fast-moving, highly technical field requiring adaptability, precision and strategy, Elsa approaches immigration as a core business function that is essential to global mobility, economic growth and talent competitiveness. She also regularly integrates immigration advice with compliance, labour law, HR and corporate strategy. Clients rely on Elsa for legal guidance as well as for clear-risk-mitigation advice correlating with business decisions.
Elsa’s practice centers on advising employers through risk mitigation and compliance inspections, particularly during mergers and acquisitions, where immigration decisions can directly affect business continuity. Clients rely on her as a trusted advisor, especially corporate immigration programs serving small and mid-sized businesses and multinational organizations. This approach helps them minimize operational disruption, compliance risk and financial exposure. Elsa brings a highly valued talent for simplifying complex requirements and delivering guidance, developed through nearly three decades of experience creating long-term, scalable immigration strategies for growth-stage and global companies.
Education
- Ecole du Barreau du Québec, Professional Training and Practice, 1996
- Université de Montréal, LL.B., 1994
More from Elsa
Admissions
Bar Admissions: Barreau du Québec (Bar of Quebec)
Awards
Listed in Chambers Canada, 2024-2026
Listed in Chambers Global, 2024-2025
Listed in Best Lawyers in Canada, 2018-2025
Professional accomplishments
Member, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Member, Quebec Immigration Lawyers Association (AQAADI)
Publications and lectures
Speaker, “La pénurie de main d'œuvre chez les entreprises : plus néfaste que la pandémie.” Évènement Les Affaires 2e édition, 2021.
Speaker, “AI Immigration – Your Stepping Stone to Success.” World Summit AI Americas, Montreal, Canada, 10-11 April 2019.
Speaker, “Temporary Foreign Workers Program.” Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC), Montreal, Canada, 2014.
Speaker, “Changements au programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires.” CERC, Montreal, Canada, 2013.
Speaker, “Les travailleurs expatriés au Québec : Guide pratique pour une intégration juridique et économique réussie.” 4th Mondissimo International Mobility Conference, Paris, France, 2012.
Speaker, “S'implanter au Canada: les visas, les aspects juridiques, l'investissement.” 4th Mondissimo International Mobility Conference, Paris, France, 2012.
Elsa’s insights
February 23, 2026 | Fragomen news
February 17, 2026 | Fragomen news
