Who Can Represent You as Authorized Paid Representatives?

Who can represent you as authorized paid representatives? 

- Lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
- Notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec and
- Citizenship or immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants

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Notaries of Québec and Lawyers vs. Immigration Consultants

Notaries of Québec and Lawyers must have a Law degree from a Canadian University.

Notaries and lawyers must complete a three-year Law degree to become legal advisers. While Lawyers are required to successfully complete the bar exam to become legally registered, Notaries of Québec are required to complete a Master’s degree in Notarial Law and successfully complete the professional training of the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

 In addition to their education, Notaries of Québec and Lawyers must undergo an internship after their studies to enter their professional board.

Immigration consultants are not lawyers. They do not attend Law school and generally undergo a one-year certification to become registered.  It is also not required for immigration consultants to have completed an undergraduate degree to start their certification.

While immigration consultants are legally able to represent you, only Lawyers and Notaries of Québec are allowed to represent you in the Federal Court of Canada for judicial review of immigration decisions.

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Avoiding Fraud

Unfortunately, there are many cases of fraud that affect thousands of potential immigrants throughout the world. Therefore, you must be cautious when choosing an immigration representative and find out if they’re authorized to represent you. It is important that you verify the services you are using and be wary of potential immigration red flags.