Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are members in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (the College)  and are authorized to represent you and advise you on immigration matters.

To become regulated the consultant needs to hold a certificate in Immigration Law, Policies and Procedures from one of the immigration programs accredited by the College and pass the national regulatory exam.

Every Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) is required to complete 16 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) annually.

Catharina is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant. You can verify her membership on the website of College and find an immigration consultant. 

The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (the College) licenses and regulates Canadian immigration and citizenship consultants in the public interest. The College’s role, its statutory authority, and its powers are set out in:

The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act,
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and
The Citizenship Act.

The College, as a regulator, mandates and enforces the standards that RCICs must meet and hold licensees accountable for meeting them.

If a member of the public or the College has concerns about a licensee’s conduct or competency, the College has the full legal authority to launch an investigation. If we find an RCIC has breached the Code, they will be subject to rehabilitation or discipline.

Consultants who reside outside Canada and provide regulated immigration services, or whose principal location of Canadian immigration services is outside Canada, are also subject to the College regulation.

The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants maintains a registry of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) and Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) to identify the professionals it regulates and to disclose their fitness to practice.  You can verify on the website of the College if a consultant is authorized.

It is an offence punishable by law to provide Canadian immigration services for a fee or other consideration if not regulated by the College, a Canadian law society, or the Chambre des notaires du Québec. You can verify on the website immigration and citizenship if a representative is authorized.

Only regulated immigration consultants are authorized to give you advice and represent you on immigration and citizenship matters for a fee or other consideration. The Government of Canada will not deal with unauthorized representatives and will return your application or refuse it.

 This video of the Government of Canada explains very well why you always should choose an authorized representative.

One important reason is that Regulated Immigration Consultants are trained in the Canadian Immigration law and regulations and are required to keep their knowledge up-to-date. Unless you are familiar with the immigration regulation and procedures, finding your way through all the immigration procedures and requirements can be very time-consuming and stressful. Sometimes people research the possibilities to immigrate to Canada themselves for months or even years, only to discover that new changes got implemented and that they are no longer eligible for a program or that they just have missed a rare opportunity. Hiring an RCIC can provide you with a realistic perspective on your possibilities to immigrate to Canada in a much shorter time and without the stress that comes with it.

A regulated immigration consultant can explain and give advice on your immigration or citizenship options and help you choose the best immigration program. As a representative, the consultant can fill out and submit your immigration or citizenship application and communicate with the Government of Canada on your behalf and represent you in immigration or citizenship applications and hearings. Using a representative will, however, not in any way draw attention to your application and it does not mean that just because you used a representative, your application will be fast-tracked or approved by Immigration Refugee Protection and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You can get all the forms and instructions to apply for a visa, a permit or citizenship for free on the website of IRCC.

You may have seen advertisements that promise work permits and guarantee high-paying jobs in Canada. Some offer scholarships to study at Canadian universities or colleges. Potential newcomers to Canada should be aware that many offers like these are fraudulent. In fact, using the services of people who make such promises may result in your application to Canada being rejected.

Canada’s immigration system is based on fairness. Every application receives equal consideration. No one has special connections, and no one can promise your application will be given special treatment or guarantee that it will be approved.

Having that said we can promise you that we will do our utmost best to get your application approved.

We answer a few questions that are not case-specific for free by email. But otherwise, we charge a fee for our services.

If you have a completed your application and are ready to submit we can do a review of the whole package. If you think you are not capable of doing the application yourself it is probably more cost effective to hire us.

We cannot help you with finding a job, but we have six tips that might help you.

1. Preparation
   You will need a resume to convince the Canadian employer that you are suited for the job. So make sure your educational credentials can be compared with those in Canada. Having them assessed by one of the organizations designated by IRCC is a good option. And what about your language skills? Having them tested is also recommendable. You may need the test anyway when you are thinking of applying for Permanent Residency?
   But most important is doing research to find out if your occupation is in demand and if there are areas in Canada you will make a better chance to get hired. In some cases, your credentials will not fit the demand category or you will need a license or certification before you can work in your profession in Canada. In that case, you could consider taking a course or doing a study to get that certificate or diploma. Doing a study in Canada will also create an extra opportunity to immigrate to Canada.
2. Networking
   The easiest way of getting a job offer from a Canadian employer is by networking. Joining associations, clubs and interest groups, attending events, connecting in social media groups, using your connections with friends and family in Canada, are strategies to become more than a name on a resume. When you have the chance to visit Canada connect with people and groups in person.
3. Recruiting agencies
   Also, a good possibility to use. One warning though, if they ask for money to help you find a job they are probably not licensed recruitment agencies. Also, recruitment agencies can offer immigration services, but they cannot force you to use these services if they helped you find a job. In all cases, the employer must pay for recruitment services and cannot ask you to pay this back after hiring you. If you have any doubt contact the applicable Province with your concerns.
4. Contacting employers
   Contacting employers and sending your resume is a possibility.  Be aware that only a few employers will actually respond to emails. So follow up with a phone call to make an appointment to meet in person or on SKYPE, Teams, Zoom or FaceTime.
5. Online resources
   There is a lot of information online. The Federal Government, Provinces, interest groups and associations publish facts and figures about jobs, careers and statistics. There are a lot of online job sites. Although it will be very hard to find a job via a job site, at least they will give you a good idea of what the market is like, who is hiring and what the requirements are.
6. Visit Canada
   When possible visit Canada and connect with the people who can help you find a job. Maybe you can even have some job interviews. Just a reminder as a visitor, you are not allowed to work. Coming to Canada with the intention to work without a work permit is not permitted and can easily result in not being allowed into the country or even in a removal order.

Before we can start answering this question we will need to know more about you and if applicable your partner. There are many immigration programs and pathways, but that does not mean that there is always a suitable pathway for everybody. Maybe there is a perfect program, but in most cases, clients need to get better language test results,  find a job in Canada or upgrade their education. We will discuss this and many more topics during an initial consultation, so you know exactly what you need to do if you decide to pursue your dream to come to Canada.

Every situation is unique and some applications take more time than others or are more complicated. Therefore we quote you our fee after having assessed your situation and possibilities in an initial consultation.

During an initial consultation, we learn about your situation, your skills, your dreams and try to find matching programs and pathways. Charging a fee ensures us that our clients are serious and aren’t looking to get ideas or free advice from an immigration professional.

1. Knowledgeable; being a specialized immigration consultant I have specialized knowledge of the immigration system, the available visas and permits, and I can advise you based on your specific situation for which visas and permits you qualify and can apply for.
2. Personalized strategy; as an immigration specialist I do not only have an overview of your possibilities, but I also guide you through the web of requirements and applications and help you to achieve your goals.
3. Other perspectives; my goal is to educate and show you the possibilities that are tailored for your situation.
4. Representation; as your immigration representative I will communicate on your behalf with the applicable authorities and make sure that your application meets all the requirements.
5. Paperwork; as your immigration representative it is my role that the paperwork is filled out correctly, is complete and submitted within the agreed timeframe or deadline.
6. In your best interest; As a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, I work according to the RCIC Code of Professional Ethics.