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Do I Need an Immigration Consultant?

You might be wondering whether you really need the help of an immigration consultant.
Some applications seem pretty straightforward and wouldn’t need any special expertise to complete. But choosing the wrong category to apply in, not knowing about a program that better fits your qualifications and experience, sending your application to the wrong visa office, or even using an out-dated form can delay your application by months (or years) and cost you unnecessary time and money – not to mention the risk of a refusal and having to start over again.

Similarly, you could represent yourself in court – but most people hire a lawyer to make sure they get the best representation. The same goes for tax returns. If your income comes from a single employer straightforward, you might do your own returns,. But many people choose to hire a tax service or an accountant to make sure they haven’t missed any deductions or made ineligible claims.

Canadian immigration law is complicated, and IRCC's use of English is confusing. Throw in new programs, expired programs, special measures, changes to regulations and Ministerial Instructions  . . . you get the idea.

Here’s one ‘simple’ example:
A client I am working with called me to ask whether her spouse (and sponsor) had to fill out the Family Information form because at the top of the form it says, 'this form must be completed by every family member aged 18 or over'. Surely her spouse is a family member, isn't he?And how about her parents and siblings? They're her immediate family members so they also have to fill out the form too, don't they? Not in 'immigration speak'. By IRCC's definition they aren't Family Members. That term applies only to foreign nationals who are included on the application so PRs and Canadians and your family back home don't need to fill out the forms. Common sense doesn't apply to IRCC's use of the English language and not knowing the code could delay or derail your application.

Everyone has an opinion on immigration and many think they’re qualified to give advice because they helped someone fill out his forms or have an uncle who ‘knows someone in the government’ or they read something somewhere that’s ‘exactly like your case’. Happily for them (but not for you), they don’t have to take responsibility for any bad advice they give you.
The same goes for under the table  ‘experts’ who will claim to give you the same quality of advice as an immigration professional, at half the cost. 
Don’t put yourself at the mercy of unauthorized representatives who will happily take your money and leave you on your own at the first sign of complications.
Professional immigration consultants, the ones you can really trust, work in a tightly regulated industry with strict standards of conduct and accountability. Do your homework. Go to the website of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants to make sure the consultant you hire is currently a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) in good standing.

At Dr Joe's Immigration, you will always get the right prescription for your immigration needs.

Here are 10 reasons why representation from Dr Joe is the wisest decision you can make: 

1. Professionalism and Reliability

Dr Joe is a member in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Becoming a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) requires a year of specialised training and rigorous exams. And it doesn’t stop there. RCICs are also required to undertake Continuing Professional Development that keeps them on top of any changes in the immigration system and helps them to deepen their expertise in specialised areas such as investor immigration, skilled workers, family sponsorships, and refugee hearings. Accountable, knowledgeable, professional – choose Dr Joe to guide you through the immigration maze.
 

2. Save Time and Money by Choosing the Right Immigration Program

Dr Joe charges a fee for his services, but the upfront investmet will save you time and money in the long run.

Consider this:
– there are more than 60 immigration programs that lead to permanent residence – federal, provincial, territorial, regional, and Quebec
– there are dozens of categories for temporary work permits with processes that change drastically based on your nationality, profession, employer, province of destination, etc.

You could waste days or weeks searching the internet and poring through blogs and self-help sites to find the strategy and category that will get you to Canada  – or you could let Dr Joe find the best fit for you.

3. Dr Joe Guarantees that your Application will be “Perfected”

We can’t guarantee that your application will be accepted. If anyone offers you such a guarantee, run away!

But we do guarantee that your application will be “perfected” – completed correctly and with all supporting documents attached. IRCC requires that every application be perfected – or they simply send it back.

Online application kits come with a document checklist, but there are a lot of things that are not explained online. For example:
How do you get a police certificate for the time you worked in Saudi Arabia? What should you do if you don’t have a birth certificate? What if the company you used to work for went out of business and can’t provide you with the documents you need for your application? What should you do when you applied for a work permit online, but they didn’t let you upload your provincial nomination letter – and now they’ve refused you application because you didn’t submit one!

There are hundreds of examples like this where you would have no one to turn to for advice – unless you have Dr Joe working on your behalf.

Dr Joe employs strict Quality Control measures to ensure that your application is accurate and perfected.

4. Dr Joe Guarantees that your Application will be Well Presented

Completing the application forms and collecting supporting documents are just part of the process. Dr Joe is a former Canadian visa officer who knows how applications are evaluated and can anticipate the questions that are likely to arise.

When we submit your application, we also prepare a custom cover document that clearly outlines how you qualify for a visa or permit and clears up any grey areas or possible problems – before they arise in the Visa Officer’s mind!

5. Dr Joe Will Stand Up for You

Visa officers and Canadian border officials are well trained and, for the most part, fair and impartial, but they do make mistakes. People are often intimidated by government officials and find it difficult to argue with one or anyone in authority – even when they know they’re right. Dr Joe will stand up for you and ensure that the law is interpreted correctly and that your rights are protected.
 

6. Easier Communication with the Government

Have you ever tried to call a visa office – or anyone in IRCC – to resolve a problem? You know how hard it is to reach anyone who is willing and able to answer your questions. Staff at IRCC's Call Centres do their best, but immigration is so complicated that they often give the wrong answer or the wrong advice. Dr Joe has access to government directories in Canada and overseas. We know who to contact on your behalf, and how to reach them.
 

7. Personal Attention

Dr Joe knows what questions to ask you in order to make your application the best it can be, and to help you avoid the hidden traps and pitfalls of the immigration process. And if circumstances change during the application process – you get married or divorced, have a child, change jobs – Dr Joe will be there to help you evaluate any impact those changes might have on your application. Similarly, if the government changes a program or regulation, Dr Joe will determine how those changes might affect your case, and advise you accordingly.
 

8. Protecting your Confidentiality

A lot of information is available online, whether on government websites or the many immigration-related self-help forums and blogs. But if you have a sensitive question about your family, your education, your employment, past brushes with the law, or a medical condition – you don’t want that information splashed all over the internet. You want to be able to ask your questions in a safe environment where you know your privacy will be protected. Dr Joe will protect your sensitive information.
 

9. Following up and Dealing with Difficulties

Every immigration process takes a long time and requires attention to detail and patience. Dr Joe will monitor your case, no matter how long it takes, and will make sure that documents are current. We’ll track when your medical exam is set to expire and when it’s time to renew your visa or permit. And when documents don’t get delivered, payments go astray, online processes fail, visa officers misread your application and come to the wrong decision . . . so many things can go wrong . . . You want the peace of mind that comes from knowing that Dr Joe is working for you to prevent or correct any snags that might arise.
 

10. Handling Refusals

If you’ve submitted your own application or had someone else represent you, and your case has been refused for some reason, Dr Joe will evaluate your file to see if there are any grounds for a successful request for reconsideration, or help you to structure a better application that covers all the bases  including Humanitarian and Compassionate considerations and the Best Interests of a Child involved. We will put forward the most complete and compelling case possible and represent you in dealing with the follow up or fall out from your application.

What Makes Us Different?

Over 30 Years of Immigration Experience

CICC Licensed

Affordable Fees

Subject-matter Expert

Video Conferencing

Up-to-Date Knowledge Base

Consultations start at $49

Find out if Canada immigration is for you