Hiring a Canadian immigration representative: check the licence before the sales pitch

A polished office, confident social-media videos and testimonials can tell you how someone markets their business. They do not establish whether that person is authorised to charge for Canadian immigration advice. Start with the individual who will handle your case, even when you are dealing with a familiar agency brand.

Identify the named professional

Ask for the person's full professional name, regulator and registration details. IRCC directs applicants to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants for consultants, the relevant Canadian law society for lawyers, and the appropriate Quebec notarial regulator for Quebec notaries. Ontario paralegals can be checked with the Law Society of Ontario.

Follow the regulator links from IRCC's official authorisation page. Confirm current standing rather than accepting an old certificate or a cropped register screenshot. A business registration alone does not answer the professional-authorisation question.

Connect the register entry to the person contacting you

A matching name is useful, but complete the check by contacting the professional through independently located business details. Ask whether they work with the agency that approached you and will personally be responsible for your file.

Keep a dated note of what you checked. If the salesperson says the licensed person is unavailable, ask for a direct appointment before paying. This is especially useful when the agency, adviser and payment recipient have different names.

Put the proposed work into writing

IRCC recommends a written contract describing the services and agreed fee. Read the scope carefully: consultation, form preparation, submission and responding to later requests are different tasks. Ask which are included and what would trigger another charge.

Separate professional fees from government charges in your own payment record. Keep receipts and agree how you will receive application copies and updates. Do not sign blank forms or approve information you cannot read; arrange a translation when needed.

Treat approval promises as a warning

IRCC states that hiring a representative does not give an application special attention or guarantee approval. A claim of personal influence over a decision therefore deserves particular scrutiny.

If you discover a licence problem after paying, collect the agreement, receipts and communications. Use IRCC's guidance on complaints and changing representatives to identify the next administrative steps, and seek independent authorised help if a submission or deadline is involved. A payment dispute and the condition of your immigration application are separate problems; make a record of both.