The Canadian immigration process can be a complex one. The different programs and their different requirements, the lots of forms to fill, the different documents to submit, the deadlines, and more. It can easily be overwhelming.
For this reason, each year, thousands of Canadian immigrants hire immigration consultants to help them through the process. These experts can be the difference between being successful in the immigration process or not.
How much will it cost you to use the services of an immigration consultant?
Read on to find the answer to this question and much more. We’ll also tell you the range of duties of Canada immigration consultants, why you may need these experts, as well as how to know you’re using a genuine expert.
Canadian Immigration Consultant Fees
Typically, the charges of Canadian immigration consultations depend on the program. The fees are substantial but thankfully, virtually all the immigration consultants break down the total cost into multiple payments, making it easier for you to pay.
That said, typical charges are as follows:
| Express Entry | |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | $2,500 – $3,500 |
| Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) | $3,500 – $4,500 |
| Federal Skilled Trades (FST) | $3,500 – $4,500 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | $4,500+
(depends on the province) |
| Study in Canada | |
| Study permit application (with no prior refusals) | $1,500 – $2,000 |
| Study permit application (with prior refusals) | $2,500+
(depends on the particular case, like reason for prior refusal, number of prior refusals, etc) |
| Study permit extension | $300 – $500 |
| Temporary Resident | |
| Temporary Resident Visa application | $500 – $2,000 |
| Temporary resident visa application (with prior refusal) | $1,200+
(depends on particular case, especially reason for refusal) |
| Sponsorship | |
| Spouse (or common law partner) sponsorship | $3,500 – $5,000 |
| Child sponsorship | $2,000 – $3,000 |
| Family sponsorship (parents and grandparents) | $2,000 – $3,000 |
What is a Canadian Immigration Consultant?
A Canadian immigration consultant is a licensed agent that helps people who intend to move to Canada. The agent will provide you with the requisite information, help you arrange the required documents, as well as submit and monitor your application so as to increase your chance of successfully immigrating to Canada.
The range of activities that Canada consultants do are:
Assisting and advising clients – One of the main roles of immigration consultants is advisory. The licensed agents are generally very knowledgeable about the Canadian immigration process, so they provide professional advice that’ll help you make informed decisions.
For example, following an assessment, they can help you choose the immigration program that’s best for you. Canada PR consultants can also help you boost your CRS score to have a higher chance of being invited to apply for permanent residency in the Express Entry programs.
Client’s immigration application – As mentioned earlier, the agent will help you through your application process to ensure that you have all the required documents, that you fill the forms completely and without error, etc.
Client’s visa assessment – Want to know whether there’s a possibility of getting visa approval? Canada visa consultants can help you with this.
Visa interview – If you have been approved for a visa, the Canada immigration best consultants can also help you to prepare for visa interviews.
How Do You Know If A Canadian Immigration Consultant Is Legit?
There are many people out there claiming to be top-notch immigration consultants. Sadly, there are as many dubious immigration consultants as there are authentic ones.
Thankfully, the Canadian government has made it easy to identify legitimate agents from those who’ll simply take your money and do little or nothing in helping you realize your Canadian dream.
There’s a body created by the Canadian government called the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). This body regulates the advising and consulting services by certifying Canadian immigration consultants.
The ICCRC arranges courses and sets examinations that all aspiring consultants for Canada PR must take and pass respectively to be licensed.
Thus, a legit Canadian immigration consultant will have a Regulated Canadian Immigration (RCIC) number furnished by the ICCRC.
To know if a consultant is authorized, log in to the ICCRC website and see if the consultant is listed. Simply search using the consultant RCIC number or company name. Any consultant that is not listed is not regulated and is probably not legitimate.
Why Do You Need Immigration Consultant?
It should be said that there is no requirement for you to hire Canada job consultants to represent or advise you on your Canadian immigration application. You can get a work permit, student visa, permanent residence, etc, and successfully immigrate to Canada without the services of a consultant.
If you know what you are doing, are ready to put in the effort, and have the time to do it yourself, you may not need a consultant.
If you have the budget for it, there are situations when it is wise to employ the services of authorized Canadian Immigration Consultants. Some of these situations are:
You lack pertinent information – Information is key if you are to succeed in any Canadian immigration program.
For example, your application will fail if you do not know what documents you need to submit. Also, getting even a visitor visa will be difficult if you do not know how to show strong ties to your home country.
An authorized Canadian immigration consultant will fill any information gap.
You are applying through a relatively complex program – While some programs are pretty straightforward, others are not.
For example, applying through a Provincial Nominee Program gives 600 additional points, making it excellent for candidates with low CRS scores.
However, the process can easily become confusing as you have to meet Express Entry (EE) requirements and enter the EE pool, while also meeting specific requirements of a province and entering its pool. An immigration consultant will help you clear the mist
You do not have the time – The process of applying and tracking your application can be time-consuming. Not having the time to give to it may make you miss something that’ll cost you.
Thankfully, an authorized consultant will handle everything for you. All you have to do is sign some documents and go for the necessary exams. You are certain that the submitted document will be free from mistakes.
You have been refused before – If you were refused before, something went wrong.
Probably, your application was not complete, you filled some fields incorrectly, your application was not convincing enough, etc. Whatever it was, you won’t want to make the same mistake. Having an expert to guide you, when going again, is wise.
