Frequently asked questions

A Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant is licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) to give immigration advice and represent clients for a fee. In Canada, only RCICs, lawyers, Quebec notaries and a few other licensed professionals can do this.

Search their name on the CICC public register. It shows their licence number, status and any disciplinary history. If someone won't give you their licence number, don't hire them.

No. You can apply on your own, and IRCC treats self-filed applications the same way. People hire us when their case is complex, when the stakes of a refusal are high, or when they want someone accountable to check the details.

Unlicensed agents can't legally charge you for immigration advice in Canada. Many students are placed in programs by agents paid commission by schools. A licensed consultant answers to a regulator and a code of conduct.

It depends on the application. We give you our professional fee in writing in a retainer before any work begins, along with the government fees you'll pay separately.

Contact us for the current consultation fee and booking options. Consultations are with a licensed consultant, not a salesperson.

At the office or online through our secure payment page. Government fees are usually paid directly to IRCC online.

Professional fees cover the work done, not the outcome, because no one can guarantee a decision. Your retainer explains refunds if a file is withdrawn before submission.

IRCC publishes current processing times by application type and country, and they change often. We check them on the day you start and plan around them.

No one can. What we can do is avoid the delays caused by incomplete files and requests for more documents, which are within our control.

We reply to messages on business days. For deadlines like fairness letters or restoration, call the office so we can act the same day.

A visa (temporary resident visa) lets you travel to Canada and ask to enter. A permit (study or work) sets what you can do once you're here. Many people need both.

If you apply to extend your permit before it expires, you can stay and keep the same conditions until IRCC decides. If you leave Canada, maintained status usually ends.

Yes, on every application, from every country that refused you. Not declaring a refusal can be treated as misrepresentation, which carries a five-year ban.

Documents not in English or French need a certified translation, plus an affidavit if the translator isn't certified in Canada. Ask us before you pay for translations; not every document needs one.