What is a reputable Canadian immigration consultant?

Author: Yan Desjardins, Founder & Executive Director

How can I differentiate a reputable Canadian immigration consultant from someone who is not?

You have made a significant decision in your life. Your urge to discover a new country, study abroad, or live in a different country led you to Canada. What a great choice. Canada has many great things to offer. From world-class education, universal and free health care, and a G7 economy, Canada is a top world destination for hundreds of thousands of tourists, students, workers, and newcomers.

Have you been looking at immigration programs on the internet? Are you feeling a bit confused? Don’t worry. Some professionals can help you but beware; you must make sure that you are dealing with a reputable Canadian immigration consultant to help you reach your immigration goals.

Is there a licensing requirement for immigration consulting?

In Canada, the law requires that any professionals providing immigration consulting services be licensed and registered. As a result, they are known as ‘Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants,’ commonly known in the industry as RCIC. Effectively, this enables consultants to provide legal and safe service to potential immigrants.

Why safe? Because the regulatory organization that oversees the RCICs has put in place mechanisms to ensure that clients are protected and that recourse procedures are available in case of disputes.

But you may ask yourself: ‘How can I ensure that what I am looking at is a reputable Canadian immigration consultant firm? Can I trust the consultant’? That is a fundamental question to ask.

The regulatory organizations

In Canada, there are two regulatory organizations when it comes to immigration matters. First, Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the Canadian government’s department responsible to create, enable, and apply laws and regulations to immigration-related matters.

Second, the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). The CICC is the agency that regulates and supervises the Registered Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) (Yes, we know…. there are many acronyms!).

The CICC also reports to the Canadian government, IRCC, the agency we spoke of earlier. (Are you feeling confused yet with all the acronyms? We don’t blame you; sometimes we do too!)

Now that we are past the technicalities, what does it mean for you? The most important factor when deciding to hire a consultant for your project is to ensure that he/she/they hold a valid RCIC license to act as your representative.

Not only are you protected by all of the provisions the CICC provides, but you can rest assured that you will be represented by a trained, certified, and reputable Canadian immigration consultant that will be able to find the right option for you.

Helpful resources

To find the correct information about your consultant, we compiled some useful links below. Here are a few resources you may want to look at:

• CICC: https://college-ic.ca/
• IRCC: https://canada.ca/immigration/

Learn about representatives: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigration-citizenship-representative/learn-about-representatives.html

How to choose an immigration representative: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigration-citizenship-representative/choose.html

Choose Phan Immigration

Immigrating to a new country is an important life journey. However, before you embark on this new project, make sure you find the right person for you.

At Phan Immigration, we work to connect communities by creating people-to-people ties and ignite opportunities to elevate the lives of others. For individuals in need of reliable, personalized immigration consultancy service, Phan Immigration provides its customers with an unprecedented experience. Aligning your goals to a realistic approach with step by step guidance.

Phan Immigration is a proud member of the CICC.

Find out how you can qualify under one of Canada’s immigration programs by taking our self-assessment test today