Navigating Immigration Services in Canada
For independent applicants, immigrating to Canada is difficult to say the least. The process, after all, has rules and regulations that most people would find stressful to deal with on their own. What’s more, even the smallest mistake in one’s application could lead to delays or even rejection.
With such prohibitive hurdles lying in the path of every hopeful newcomer to Canada, it becomes important – if not vital – to seek professional guidance from a Canadian immigration lawyer or certified immigration consultant when applying to come to Canada. These professionals are qualified to offer their expert knowledge of the legal framework surrounding Canadian immigration, strategic implementations tailored to individuals’ unique circumstances, and advice on how to optimize one’s application – both logistically and persuasively. All these benefits boost applicants’ chances of coming to Canada, making immigration consultations invaluable assets in the immigration process.
Directory of Immigration Professionals
Immigration.ca has compiled a directory of Canadian immigration lawyers and certified immigration consultants that have been vetted and are in good standing. This resource has been designed to simplify your search for immigration assistance.
| Name | Firm Name | Years of Experience | Languages | Specialties | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Sabine Hassoun
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Canadian Citizenship & Immigration Resource Centre (CCIRC) | 15+ | Arabic, English, French | All | Canada |
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Colin Singer, LL.B, BA
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Colin Singer Attorney | 30+ | French, English | Economic Class Immigration | Montreal, Quebec & Toronto, Ontario |
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Eivy Joy Quito, RCIC
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ImmigCanada Immigration Consulting Services | 9 | English, French | All except Refugee, Asylum | Montreal, Quebec & Ottawa, Ontario |
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Andra Dumitrescu, Hons BA, JD, LLM
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AVIO Immigration | 5 years in law, specializing in immigration since 2021 | English, Romanian | Comprehensive immigration services / All | Toronto, Ontario |
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Grace Daccache, MA, CCIC
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Daccache Immigration Inc. | 16 | English, French, Arabic | Economic Immigration, Temporary Immigration, Family Immigration | Montreal, Quebec |
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Oussama Mahmoud, BA, CCIC
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Do Canada Immigration Services | 6.5 | English, French, Arabic | Economic, Family, Temporary | Montreal, Quebec |
Choosing an Immigration Professional to Guide Your Application
Despite both Canadian immigration lawyers and certified immigration consultants holding the requisite credentials to represent immigration applicants, they each offer a unique set of skills and services and are governed by different regulation authorities. It is important to understand these distinctions before choosing one or the other type of professional for help with your application.
Canadian Immigration Lawyers
These professionals are licensed to practise law and can provide legal advice on all immigration matters. They must have a three-to-four-year undergraduate degree, after which they attend law school for three years and pass the bar to become registered attorneys.
Along with regular representation, lawyers are also allowed to represent clients in court and handle any legal disputes in case an application is subject to judicial review. Their legal training enables them to address legal issues that could create hurdles in an immigration case, such as criminality or implications on family law.
However, lawyers are usually more expensive to hire than immigration consultants. They also have busier schedules and typically narrower focus areas within immigration, which means that they may not be as available as consultants for filing general immigration applications.
Canadian Immigration Consultants
Immigration consultants must have an undergraduate degree (usually three or four years) and pass a one-year diploma program to become registered with their professional authority, the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. In English, this is the Queen’s University Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law and in French, the D.E.S.S. en réglementation canadienne et québécoise de l’immigration, offered by the University of Montreal.
The become a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, candidates must then pass an Entry to Practice exam, which tests their knowledge, skills, and judgment in practical scenarios related to immigration and citizenship. Once licensed, they must complete a New-License Mentoring Program in the first year. Other post-licensing required courses include Practice Management Education, the Specialization Program for those who wish to practise before the Immigration and Refugee Board, and annual Continuing Professional Development, to ensure knowledge is current.
Immigration consultants are focused exclusively on immigration law and are authorized to submit immigration applications. They can provide expert advice, fill out and submit paperwork, and represent clients in administrative proceedings.
Consultants are usually the more cost-effective option for representation. They typically charge lower fees than lawyers and are also more accessible for general immigration applications.
Choosing the Right Immigration Professional
Picking a professional to represent your immigration case requires a consideration of many factors, namely the services offered by them, their qualifications, where they are located, and their payment model. We have included all these in our directory, but it could be difficult to interpret them on your own. Here is a breakdown of how to go about doing that:
Services
Of utmost consideration should be if a professional offers the service you need, whether that be a work permit, Canada study permit, Canada permanent residency, complex legal advice (like deportation or criminal inadmissibility), or provincial programs you are interested in. Based on that, you should pick the immigration consultant or immigration lawyer who holds expertise in your field.
Qualifications
Next, you should verify the professional’s qualifications to ensure they are authorized to represent you. Lawyers need to prove membership to a provincial or territorial law society, and consultants need to be registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Affiliations are important, as they show that an external authority recognizes the professional as an expert in their field.
In terms of levels of qualification, consultants can be categorized as follows:
- Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs): RCICs can help and support those looking to study, work, or live in Canada. Once someone is in Canada, they can also help them with citizenship applications, family sponsorship applications, visitor visas, detention reviews, or study permits.
- RCIC-IRB: To practice before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) is now a restricted area of practice. An RCIC must have an RCIC-IRB class of license to represent someone before the IRB. For this, they need to undergo the Specialization Program, which is based on the Essential Competencies for RCIC Practice.
Note: Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAS) are advisors are licensed by CCIC and employed in the Canadian education sector. They can provide immigration advice to international students and their dependents about study permits, temporary resident visas (TRVs) and study permits related to other permits currently available in Canadian immigration programs. However, they are not authorized to represent them in immigration or citizenship cases or complete immigration forms for them. These services require an RCIC.
Location
Although you may have searched for an “immigration lawyer near me” or an “immigration attorney near me” on Google, it is important to note that it does not matter where a lawyer is based in Canada, with the exceptional case of Quebec. Although immigration is a federal matter, Quebec controls its own immigration under the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord.
Only the following individuals are authorized to represent you before the Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration:
- members in good standing of the Barreau du Québec
- members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec
- individuals who have been granted special authorization by one of the two above-mentioned organizations
- immigration consultants who are registered with the Registre québécois des consultants en immigration
Specializations
Although most immigration cases are straightforward and can be handled easily by most immigration experts, certain cases require specialized knowledge, such as those involving business immigration or refugee claims. In that scenario, look for a professional who has a track record and specialization in handling cases like yours.
Languages Spoken
You may want to look for a consultant or lawyer based on your language preference. Because Canada is a bilingual country, most of the professionals mentioned in the table are proficient in either English, French, or both. If you feel more comfortable in another language, however, it is important that you check under this section to find an advisor who meets your language requirement.
Payment Model
It is requisite that you understand the payment model and fee structure of the professional you are signing in. You do not want to commit to a service that is out of your budget or that follows a payment structure that you are not financially prepared for. It is also recommended that you check for additional costs, such as application fees, which are not included in the quoted fee but can add up to quite a considerable amount at times.
Some examples of immigration law firm payment models are as follows:
- Hourly Pricing: Hourly pricing is when an immigration professional charges a set rate for all the time they spent working on a case. This fee model is more common for unpredictable case types, which may be dragged out for months at times.
- Flat Fees: This fee model involves a set fee charged for the service. It is common for cases that are straightforward and have a predictable outcome.
Making Informed Decisions: Your Next Steps
It is vital that you keep all these considerations in mind while choosing an immigration professional to help you come to Canada.
While consultants and lawyers are both expert professionals in matters pertaining to immigration, they have their own unique skills that may make one or the other a more viable candidate for your personal needs.
Here are some key takeaway points:
- Canadian Immigration Lawyers
Lawyers can be more suited for offering legal advice, representing you in court, and providing expertise in legal complexities.
- Certified Immigration Consultants
Immigration consultants are focused exclusively on immigration law and are authorized to submit immigration applications. They can provide expert advice, fill out and submit paperwork, and represent clients in administrative proceedings.
- Choosing the Right Immigration Professional
Many factors need to be considered when deciding on which immigration professional will most suit your unique circumstances and needs. These include the services offered, qualifications, location, specialization, and payment model.
We recommend that the journey to come to Canada is not taken alone, and the directory provided by immigration.ca is a valuable resource to ensure that you have the right support mechanisms in place when starting down that road. No matter your unique immigration needs, the professionals we have partnered with are equipped to make every step towards coming to Canada a little easier.
FAQ
How can I schedule an immigration lawyer consultation from the directory?
We have provided every immigration lawyer and certified immigration consultant’s contact information in the directory. You can reach out directly to them to inquire about their availability and schedule an immigration consultation from there.
Some professionals say they have contacts in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), or at a visa office. Is this true?
This is not true for Canada. Canada is a democratic country, composed of legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government that act independently from each other. A fundamental principle in this system of governance is that officials make decisions impartially and without outside influence. Public officials face sanction if they are found to have not been impartial, and private individuals face sanction for even claiming to have the ability to influence public officials. Therefore, applicants should not work with any Canadian immigration lawyers or immigration consultant claiming to have government ties.
Is it possible to apply for a Canada PR without hiring a lawyer or a consultant?
It is true that candidates can successfully apply for a Canada PR without professional help. In fact, many do. However, it is recommended that assistance from a lawyer or consultant is sought because the rules and regulations surrounding Canadian immigration are volatile and constantly changing. An immigration officer’s decision must consider many issues covered by volumes of government manuals, as well as ad hoc changes. These decisions are often challenged by lawyers and become the subject of volumes of reported case law. The government encourages candidates to apply without a lawyer, but a good lawyer protects an applicant’s rights.
The government acknowledges this as well: “When lawyers and consultants present their clients’ cases in a clear and concise manner, processing is expedited and simplified.” Canadian Embassy in Moscow’s Guidelines for Representatives. October 28, 1996. Studies also offer proof of higher approval rates for applicants with lawyers.
Is it important to find an immigration lawyer near me when looking for an immigration lawyer consultation?
While location is not an important factor to consider for federal immigration matters, Quebec immigration requires specific, provincial authorizations for which the consultant or lawyer needs to be based in the province.
Are the listed Canadian immigration lawyers and immigration consultants bilingual or multilingual?
This may vary based on an individual basis, but many immigration lawyers and consultants in Canada are bilingual or multilingual, offering services in English, French, and sometimes even other languages. If language proficiency is an important factor for you, it is important to inquire about that early on.
