Why hiring a Certified Immigration Consultant? (part 1)

there are 12 reasons why to hire an immigration consultant.

1. To choose the right immigration program. There are more than 60 immigration programs that lead to permanent residence; there are dozens of categories under which you may apply for a temporary work permit with processes that change drastically based on your profession, employer, province of destination, etc.; and there are many conditions and exceptions on the family reunification programs, business programs and other refugee programs. On the Internet, in the various blogs and forums – all or most of which provide extremely valuable information about immigration and connect people in the most beneficial way – discussions and postings focus on the popular Federal and Quebec Skilled Worker programs, with a few articles on the sponsorship and refugee programs. Yet for many immigrants, other programs are more adequate and faster. Even the most popular immigration programs have confusing subtleties and complexity.

2. The security that your file will be complete and well presented. All can read a list of documents on the Internet but there are many details that are not explained online. For example, what if I don’t have my grades from high school, what happens when the company I worked with four years ago does not exist anymore, what if I work in my family’s business but I have no receipt of salary? These are examples among hundreds of situations where you need good advice to complete your application. It is safe to say that without our counsel, most of our clients would not have obtained their visa – any kind of visa, not just the permanent resident’s.

3. An easier communication with the government. If you ever tried to call your local Canadian Embassy to resolve a problem, you will understand what I mean. A consultant can open communication channels, not because he (masculine implying feminine) has special privileges with the agents and employees of the government but because he can call alternate offices more easily and he can speak in your name in English and/or French in a concise way to represent your best interest.

4.     Integration services. A good consultant will not limit himself to helping you with the desired visa (even though that is in itself a valuable service). Many will provide you with tools that will help you find your job and your home, recognize your credentials, open your bank account, register your kids at school, understand how public transit works in your city, how to find a good health insurance, where the health centres are located, etc.