IS YOUR IMMIGRATION REPRESENTATIVE AUTHORIZED

Immigration law

Citizenship and immigration consultants in Canada must be registered with the College of Citizenship and Immigration Consultants. The college maintains a directory where you can verify the credentials of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) and Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs).

By entering the consultant's details, you can check their registration status with the college. If your consultant is listed, the page will show their name, college ID, profile, company, license type, and whether they are authorized to practice.

Only RCICs and RISIAs with an "active" status and marked "Yes" under the "entitled to practice" column are legally allowed to provide paid immigration advice or services. So, if your consultant's status says "inactive," you might want to find someone who isn’t just good at paperwork, but also legally allowed to do it!

When choosing to work with a professional immigration representative, it is crucial to ensure they are legally authorized to act in that role. Despite strict regulations and penalties for offenders, newcomers to Canada are frequently targeted by fraudulent immigration consultants and representatives.

The prevalence of such scams is significant enough that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada dedicates an entire month (March) each year to fraud prevention. Newcomers who hire a licensed immigration representative can take steps to verify their credentials.

You can trust RRM Law because they have a solid reputation for professionalism and expertise in immigration law. With years of experience, their team is dedicated to providing accurate and reliable advice, ensuring that every step of your immigration process is handled with care. They are licensed and authorized to represent clients, so you can have peace of mind knowing they are qualified to assist you.

Their focus on clear communication and client satisfaction means you'll always be kept in the loop about the status of your case. Whether you need help with visa applications, citizenship, or navigating complex immigration laws, RRM Law has the knowledge and commitment to guide you through the process with confidence.

You can verify whether a person is authorized to represent immigrants or provide advice—because, let’s face it, you wouldn’t ask a plumber to fix your car, right?

Citizenship or immigration consultants must be registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
Lawyers or notaries must be members of a provincial or territorial law society in Canada or the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
Paralegals (only in Ontario) must be registered with the Law Society of Ontario.

If they are not in good standing, you should avoid using their services.

Most law societies provide an online tool to confirm whether a person is a member in good standing. To find a paid or unpaid representative:

Ask people you trust for recommendations.
Be sure to seek advice from several sources before making a decision.
Ask questions.
Be cautious of anyone who refuses to answer your questions.

If you’re hiring a paid representative, make sure they’re authorized. That means they’re licensed to practice and provide advice—because hiring someone who’s not authorized might just result in your application being returned, kind of like a package that’s “undeliverable”... except, it’s your future!

Any representative you pay or compensate in any way for their services is considered paid and must be authorized.
Inquire about their training and experience.
Ask for references and find out how long they have been in business.
Discuss the services they will provide and their fees.
Make sure to get a written contract and carefully review it before signing.
The contract should outline all the services they will provide and clearly state the agreed-upon fee.

If you are working with a representative in Canada, you can also contact the Better Business Bureau to check if any complaints have been filed against the citizenship or immigration consultant, lawyer, or other representative.

Tips to protect yourself from fraud:

Be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true.
Using a representative will not give your application special attention or guarantee approval.
Be wary of representatives who encourage you to provide false information in your application.
It’s illegal, and doing so could result in a denial of entry into Canada or deportation after arrival.
Do not leave original documents or photos with your representative.
Never sign blank application forms.
Only sign forms or documents you fully understand.
If you don’t understand them, ask someone to help translate.
Always request copies of any documents your representative prepares for you.
Whenever you pay your representative, make sure you get a signed receipt.
Ensure your representative keeps you updated on the status of your application.
Protect your money and remember:
They will never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account.
They will never request you to transfer money through a private money transfer service.
The processing fees are in Canadian dollars and are the same worldwide.

Regardless of whether your representative is paid or unpaid, follow these steps to know where to submit your complaint—because even if they're working for free, bad advice still deserves a good report!

For a citizenship or immigration consultant, file a complaint with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
For a lawyer or notary, file a complaint with the provincial or territorial law society in Canada or the Chambre des notaires du Québec (available in both English and French).
For a paralegal (Ontario only), file a complaint with the Law Society of Ontario.

If your complaint is about an employee of an authorized representative, address your concerns with their employer. If the employer does not resolve the issue, file a complaint with the governing body they are registered with.

If you believe your representative has committed fraud or provided incorrect information about your application:

Inform them using the web form or notify the Canada Border Services Agency-because when in doubt, it’s better to report than to let things go "borderline" wrong!

With RRM Law, the focus is on clear communication and client satisfaction. Meaning you will always be kept in the loop about the status of your case. Whether you need help with visa applications, citizenship, or navigating complex immigration laws, RRM Law has the knowledge and commitment to guide you through the process with confidence. Call us at 905-798-3776 to book an appointment.

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IS YOUR IMMIGRATION REPRESENTATIVE AUTHORIZED