Communication concerns in case of Vancouver social worker ordered to leave Canada

The arrest of Irish born social worker Dillon Nolan has raised concerns about how Canada’s immigration agencies communicate. (Dylan Fox)

The arrest of Irish‑born social worker Dillon Nolan has raised concerns about how Canada’s immigration agencies communicate.

Nolan’s lawyer and husband say outdated information appears to have moved between Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which processes visas, and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which enforces immigration laws, leading to decisions he never knew about. They worry those gaps contributed to an unexpected arrest and an order for Nolan to leave Canada, despite him keeping his contact information up to date.

Nolan was arrested by the CBSA last week. His husband Dylan Fox says he watched in shock as border officers, assisted by Vancouver police, apprehended Nolan on Feb. 22.

“It was hard, like emotionally, to see him going through that,” Fox told CTV News.

Fox says Nolan, an Irish national, had been preparing to perform at a local venue that evening when officers arrived and detained him.

“He was kind and respectful to them,” he said. “They took him out front and put him in handcuffs.”

Nolan has lived in Canada since 2021 on a work visa and is a social worker on the Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency Team at BC Children’s Hospital. Fox says Nolan supports some of the province’s most vulnerable young people and had recently been asked to join a deployment team supporting families affected by the tragedy in Tumbler Ridge—a request Fox says reflected Nolan’s strong reputation in the field.

“It was mostly about the level of care he’s able to give—what they’ve seen from him with patient care, and the compassion and empathy pieces,” Fox said.

However, Nolan was unable to participate in the deployment because of issues with his immigration status.

Immigration dispute

According to his lawyer, Michael D. McDonald of Overholt Law LLP, Nolan was unaware of the immigration concerns that ultimately led to his detainment.

McDonald says IRCC sent Nolan a procedural fairness letter on Dec. 30, 2024, seeking clarification about entries on his work permit. Nolan maintains he never received the email, and McDonald shared a sworn affidavit from his client stating as much.

“He still hasn’t received that letter. I believe there may be a copy of the disclosure, but he had no knowledge whatsoever that IRCC was seeking additional information for him,” McDonald said.

When IRCC did not receive a response within 30 days, the department issued a misrepresentation finding in early February 2025 and cancelled Nolan’s work permit, which had been valid until Jan. 1, 2026. McDonald says Nolan received no notice of either decision, saying the finding was made, in his view, “in a procedurally unfair and unreasonable manner, and made on impermissible inferences.”

The cancellation triggered a three‑month window for Nolan to restore his status—something McDonald says he did not do because he did not know it had been revoked.

In May 2025, Nolan’s IRCC portal indicated he had been nominated under the Provincial Nominee Program and invited to apply for permanent residence. Nolan applied the following month. McDonald says the nomination appears to have come from a different IRCC division that was unaware of the misrepresentation finding.

Warrant and alleged communication gaps

CBSA issued a warrant for Nolan in July 2025, citing an overstay linked to the cancelled permit. McDonald says officers spent months trying to contact Nolan using outdated addresses.

“The attempts to contact him were unsuccessful because they were contacting him at old physical addresses, either in Vancouver or in Ireland,” he said.

McDonald says Nolan’s correct contact information was consistently updated through his IRCC portal, along with his employer information.

In November 2025, Nolan applied for a bridging open work permit. McDonald says he did this so he could continue working beyond January 2026, unaware his status had already been revoked.

In early February 2026, IRCC notified Nolan that his permanent residence application was not being processed because of the misrepresentation finding, and that he was inadmissible until 2030. On Feb. 20, IRCC rejected his bridging permit and advised him a warrant had been issued.

Nolan informed his employer and booked a March 16 flight to Dublin.

BC Children’s Hospital said in a written statement that it is aware of the matter but cannot comment due to privacy and legal considerations.

“We can say that this individual is a valued member of our team and we are offering all the supports we can, to both them and their family, during this time,” the statement read. “This includes a formal letter of support sent on behalf of BC Children’s Hospital to the federal government requesting a detailed review of the circumstances of the case.”

Arrest and detention

Around 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 22, CBSA officers arrested Nolan, according to his husband and his lawyer. He was taken to the Surrey Immigration Holding Centre until the Immigration and Refugee Board ordered his release on Feb. 24.

McDonald says the timeline raises questions. He said the letter was sent on Feb. 18, noting Nolan read IRCC’s letter on Feb. 20.

On Feb. 23, a CBSA minister’s delegate issued a one‑year exclusion order for overstay.

Asked whether Nolan had a criminal history, McDonald said: “No criminal records, in Canada or Ireland, no criminal activity whatsoever.”

IRCC said it cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy legislation. CBSA also declined comment for the same reason.

Nolan was released on a small bond and must leave Canada on March 16.

“Dillon right now is focused on being with his husband. He is focused on preparing for a move back to Ireland, and trying to process a major change in what he thought was the life that he had built here in Canada,” McDonald said.

He added that when Nolan leaves Canada, he will be subject to a one‑year exclusion order, which the legal team is working to challenge through judicial review or ministerial intervention.

Unless a stay of removal is granted, Nolan plans to leave on March 16.

Fox says the situation has been overwhelming, especially as newlyweds, and that moving to Ireland is now a real possibility.

“I just want people to understand that he’s not a criminal. He’s not doing any bad things here. He’s never been arrested. Like, he’s just a social worker that’s trying to help all these kids,” Fox said.