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Immigration
Consultants are on the front line of service to consumers.
It is estimated that Immigration Consultants handle
well over 100,000 applications per year affecting
the lives of an estimated half million people. Impacting
the lives of so many people is a serious matter and
professionalism is mandatory.
Unfortunately,
there are those who would claim to be what they are
not and claim to do what they cannot. Canadian law
requires that to give advice a person must be a Certified
Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC). Those who
would sell you a service without meeting the requirements
are breaking the law and are putting you and your
family at risk.
There
are those who give immigration advice believing they
are helping and sometimes they really want to help.
Unfortunately as the saying goes, "a little knowledge
can be a dangerous thing." The best advice and
help someone could give is to send their family, friend
or stranger to a recognized professional.
With
the amendment of the Immigration and Refugee Protection
Regulations in 2004 the government of Canada specified
who may act as an Authorized Representative in an
application or matter before Citizenship and Immigration
Canada. The regulations state that only Immigration
Consultants who are members in good standing of the
Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants; lawyers
who are members in good standing of a Canadian law
society and students-at-law under their supervision;
and notaries who are members in good standing of the
Chambre des notaires du Québec and students-at-law
under their supervision may act on behalf of clients.
April
13, 2006 marked the long anticipated "self-regulation"
date for Immigration Consultants. On this date the
Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants began
using the term, Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant
(CCIC). A Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant
(CCIC) is an a person who has passed a rigorous certification
process including meeting and surpassing experience
requirements, competency to practice testing, language
standards and a full membership examination.
When
an Immigration Consultant is bestowed recognition
as a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC)
a client can feel a sense of security in knowing that
the consultant is qualified to practice. Further,
Certified Canadian Immigration Consultants (CCICs)
must also maintain professionalism by meeting on-going
professional development standards and conforming
to Rules of Professional Conduct.
Choosing
the right consultant to help with your important immigration
matter takes a little bit of homework and trying to
separate fact from fiction. If someone is telling
you exactly what you want to hear and it sounds like
they are selling you your dream, do some more homework.
Immigration is a complicated matter.
Here
is a quick list of what to look for or ask when making
your choice.
1.
Use a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC).
These are listed at the website of the Canadian Society
of Immigration Consultants (www.csic-scci.ca). All
CCICs have a membership number and are designated
as Full Members of the Society. Most CCICs are very
proud of their profession and will predominately display
their membership certificate and card.
2.
Ask about the background of the CCIC. How many
years in practice? How much experience with the particular
problem you have? What formal training and/or education?
3.
Who will do or supervise the work? A CCIC is responsible
for all the work that comes out of their office. They
must sign all the documents.
4.
Service. Review the contract. All CCICs will have
a contract and you should read and ask questions about
the contract. Understand fully what work will be done
and at what cost including service fees and other
fees if any.
5.
Fees. Is the fee reasonable for the work that
will be done? Remember, if you are paying a professional,
there will be an appropriate fee. Consider the actual
time involved, the experience of the CCIC and the
benefit you will receive. If the fee is too low, consider
why. If the fee is considerably higher, ask why?
They
say dreaming is free. If it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is.
Article
Courtesy: Canadian Association of Professional Immigration
Consultants (CAPIC-ACCPI).
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