Since this is a very important subject matter I decided to write a blog post about it to guide as well as to explain the need of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to regulate this part of the Immigration process.
To protect the interests of applicants, last April 13, 2004, Citizenship and Immigration Canada implemented regulations to govern the activities of Canadian immigration representatives.
As explained in the Website of Citizenship and Immigra Canada:
"There are two types of immigration representatives: paid and unpaid.
Paid immigration representatives
The only representatives who may charge a fee to represent or advise you on immigration and refugee matters with
the Government of Canada are:
* lawyers who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
* Immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, and
* notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec
The Government of Canada will not deal with non-authorized representatives who charge a fee for their service.
Unpaid immigration representatives
A person or organization who does not charge a fee for their service may also represent you.
For example:
* a family member or friend
* a member of a non-governmental or religious organization"
Since Immigration Policies of Canada changes quite often a lot of my readers as well as applicants for Canada
Immigration prefer to use the services of paid Immigration representatives to protect their Interests. After all, as often as the regulation changes, the time they have decided to apply might be the only time that they can apply for Canadian Immigration, if they fail the first time, they might not get a second chance.
Since there are a lot of vultures waiting for the chance to take your money, you have to make sure that the person that you are dealing with has the credentials as well as the technical know how to really help you in your application.
The changes that the Immigration laws of Canada bring about may also affect the stability of your Immigration representative, in this note, it is also important to ask for your Immigration Representatives track record and staying power.
I pity those people who come to me, because at the time when they need the services of their former Immigration Representatives, they can no longer locate them might be because those people that they hired only posed as an expert or the Immigration representatives office already closed down.
To protect yourself, I believe that you have to ask the right questions when you are considering hiring an
Immigration Representative:
1. Are you, or is your Company affiliated with an authorized Immigration Representative, as defined in the regulation above?
2. How long has your company been operating?
3. How many have you sent to Canada?
4. What are the ussual problems that an applicant encouters in applying for Permanent Residents Visa application and what services does your company have that will help the applicant overcome these problems?
When you ask these questions, it will be interesting to see how you can catch those who are simply fabricating answers and those who are answering truthfully.
Other than these questions, there is a tool in the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website that can help you determine if the company you work for has an Authorized representative or is an Authorized representative.
Let me Illustrate how you can use it by making the company that I work for, Canadian Immigration Consultany as an example.
Canadian Immigration Consultancy's Authorized Representative for Canada Immigration is Atty. John Weisdorf.
As a member in good standing of a Canadian Law Society, Atty. John Weisdorf is authorized by Citizenship and
Immigration Canada to represent would be applicants, who does not practice Real Estate Law, does restricting himself to specialize in Practicing Immigration Law among other things.
To verify Atty. John Weisdorf authority to represent, please visit the Canadian Government web page at: cic.gc.ca (click on the link to be automatically directed to the website).
Once there do the following:
1. Scroll down to and click the "Using a lawyer or other representative for immigration" section of the webpage
2. Once there scroll down again to the "Contacts" link at the Related links portion of the page
3. Under the "Provincial and territorial law societies – Membership validation service" section of the page look for and click the "Law Society of Upper Canada" link
4. You will be directed on the Law Society of Upper Canada webpage, once there click on Lawyer Regulation, an options menu will slide out choose Member directory.
5. Click "To begin your search of the Law Society Lawyer and Paralegal Directory, please click here."
6. A table will appear, in last name type "Weisdorf" first name "John".
Then you will see the details of Atty. John Weisdorf.
It will be normal to be apprehensive when you see the word Restricted, although a simple verification; at Law Society Resource Centre by emailing lawsociety@lsuc.on.ca or calling (416) 947-3315 (1-800-668-7380 outside of Toronto) and ask for the Resource Centre, will tell you the same thing that has already been mentioned above that Atty John Weisdorf is an Authorized Representative for Canada Immigration, only that he does not practice Real Estate law does the Term Practice Restricted.
This blogpost, Authorized representative for Canada Immigration, is only one of attempts of this blog to make the explanations on your intention for Canada Simplier, subscribe by email to this blog my encoding your email address
on the subscribe section of the blog, or call the author to set for an appointment.
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