Protect your future in Canada: 5 red flags to watch for in immigration services

Choosing the right immigration representative is a big decision because your entire future in Canada is riding on it.

You should always ensure that if your representative is an immigration consultant, they are licensed and in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. You can search for your consultant on the CICC website by name or name of business to determine this.

The same recommendation goes for lawyers. Lawyers must be licensed and in good standing with their provincial law societies.

If your representative is not registered with either of these bodies, keep looking for someone who is.

Even if you do your homework and find a licensed representative, there could still be signs you’re not getting the best service. Let’s look at the top five warning signs.

1. Your representative does not communicate with you.

Communication is very important in any immigration process. You need to know what information to provide and by when; when your application will be submitted; and when you can expect a decision.

If your application takes several months or years to process, you may have to update information regarding your personal or family situation, or your representative may need to advise you of ongoing requirements, like having a medical exam or taking your passport to the visa office.

Being informed about deadlines and circumstances that could change or alter the context of an application are the responsibility of both client and representative.

2. Your representative does not provide you with a contract, detailed explanation of the fees they are charging, or an explanation of the services they will provide.

You need to know what you are paying for—it is not a courtesy but a requirement. Your representative must provide details of the service they will provide, how much it will cost, how it will be paid for and when, and how the representative will be paid.

Payment systems can range from providing the full cost up front, paying by milestone, or paying by the hour. Whatever the arrangement, representatives cannot access the payment (i.e. pay themselves) until the work is completed.

If you don’t know what you’re paying for or how much the work will cost, your representative could change the terms of the work on a whim and, without a written agreement, you would have difficulty proving the original terms.

3. Your representative charges you a fee to get you a job, high language scores, post-secondary credential, or anything else you did not earn or obtain on your own.

Charging fees to an individual to get them a job is illegal in Canada. Employers may pay fees to recruiters, but those fees cannot in turn be charged to employees under any circumstances.

Similarly, buying a positive LMIA for a job, fake or altered language scores or educational credentials is fraud and is illegal. A professional and ethical representative will never suggest or engage in this kind of activity.

Engaging in illegal activity, even if you don’t initiate it, could have serious and lasting implications for remaining in and building a life in Canada.

4. Your representative does not review the application with you prior to submitting it and/or does not give you a copy of the application.

Even if someone prepares your application for you, you are responsible for its contents.

You must sign it with the acknowledgement that everything claimed and declared is the truth.

If you don’t see the final product before it is submitted, you don’t know what was submitted. If there is an error or missing information, you could be facing an accusation of misrepresentation that would result in a 5-year ban from Canada, while your representative may receive a small fine from their regulatory body.

You should also keep a record of every immigration application you ever submit so that the information can be used to inform future applications or prove claims you made in the past.

5. Your representative guarantees your application will be successful (especially if you pay them more money).

No one can guarantee success on an application. The only guarantee a representative can make is that they will submit a well-prepared, comprehensive, and complete application, and you can hold them to this. The rest is up to IRCC.

Charging extra money (presumably to bribe someone at IRCC) and giving false guarantees is illegal/unethical.

Your immigration journey is too important to leave in the hands of someone who isn’t acting in your best interest. If you recognize any of these warning signs, trust your instincts. It’s not too late to make a change. Reach out to us at COMPASS Immigration Solutions to book a consultation with our trusted consultant, Carolyn Watson, and let us help you move forward with confidence.