Ten Questions To Ask When Working With An Immigration Services Consultant
The immigration process can be long and can require a lot of patience and commitment. As an applicant, it may appear to you like a challenging task, and it’s understandable if you have concerns, uncertainties, and questions about your immigration case.
Working with an immigration consultant is a great option if you want expert guidance on your application. But when hiring a consultant for your immigration application or sponsorship, it’s critical to choose a reputable professional with high standards.
After all, you’d like your immigration application to be approved on the first try! Therefore, it is important to select an immigration consultant on whom you can rely for your immigration application needs.
However, if you’ve never worked with an immigration consultant before, you may be unsure where to begin in selecting the best one for your situation. To make the process easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of ten important questions to ask a potential immigration consultant.
During your initial consultation, ask these questions to help you understand if this professional is the right fit for you and capable of assisting you from start to finish of the immigration process.
1. Are you licensed to provide Canadian immigration services?
Anyone who provides Canadian immigration or citizenship advice or representation for a fee must be a member in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) or a member of a Canadian Law Society.
You should always verify that the person you engage to provide Canadian immigration or citizenship advice or representation is authorized to represent you.
2. How many years have you been practicing as a licensed immigration consultant?
It’s good to know how many years your consultant has been practicing Canadian immigration. This will help you to determine their knowledge of immigration and how effectively they will be able to guide you through the entire process.
3. What immigration services do you offer?
Before you engage the services of an immigration consultant, ensure that they offer the immigration services that you are looking for. Verify that they have the requisite knowledge and/or experience working with similar immigration applications like yours.
4. What is your success rate?
It is always good to find out what is the immigration consultant’s success rate in the specific case area that concerns you. You can also check their website or social media pages for testimonials and online reviews.
5. What are your professional fees?
It’s important to know upfront, the total fees for the entire process. Some consultants charge a flat fee for their services, while others may charge an hourly rate. Verify with the consultant what their professional fees are for the specific case and also what the government fees are.
A good immigration consultant will be able to explain these to you clearly, and not be vague about how much they charge.
6. What tasks will you undertake on my behalf?
Ask your immigration consultant if they will complete and submit all paperwork on your behalf and attend interviews and hearings if necessary.
7. What immigration program am I eligible for?
Be sure to find out from the consultant, if there are any immigration programs that you may be eligible for. You should discuss the eligibility requirements of the program(s) and the process for applying.
8. What is the best strategy for my case?
Ask the immigration consultant to discuss the approach and strategy they will use to achieve a favorable result in your case.
9. What are my chances of success?
An immigration consultant cannot guarantee the successful outcome of an immigration application. It is actually a breach of their Code of Professional Conduct to guarantee clients a successful outcome on their application.
However, an immigration consultant should inform you if your case is feasible and be able to brief you on all likely outcomes before signing the retainer.
10. What is the estimated processing time for the application?
Processing time starts the day IRCC receives your complete application and ends when they make a decision on it. Processing times will differ depending on your immigration case, whether it was submitted by mail or online and whether you are inside or outside of Canada.
The consultant will be able to check the IRCC website to ascertain the estimated processing time for your case, so that you can make appropriate plans.
Are you looking for the services of an immigration consultant to navigate the immigration process for you? Then reach out to us at Reset Canada Immigration. Backed by a team of experienced professional and knowledgeable Immigration Consultants who are registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). They are licensed to provide you with Canadian immigration advice, and to file your applications to the various immigration authorities in Canada, including the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).
We assist clients with these processes across Brampton, Toronto, Mississauga, Caledon, Guelph, London, Hamilton, Niagara, Barrie, Milton, Ajax, Oshawa, Pickering, and the surrounding areas.
To learn more about our services, please visit our website by clicking here. To get in touch with us, please click here.