Use a migration lawyer or go it alone?

Jostar1

Member

Member since 27 December 2015

Vancouver, British Columbia

Jostar1

09 March 2016 21:01:16

Jostar1

09 March 2016 21:01:16

Vancouver, British Columbia

Hi,
Myself and my family have just started on the path to immigrating to Canada from the UK. Both myself and my husband seem to be eligible for visas (He's a truck driver, I'm a marketing manager) but the process is daunting. I was wondering if any of you used a migration lawyer or got your visas by doing it all yourself?
Did you make the right choice or do you wish you'd done it another way? We are looking to move to Canada permanently
Thank you in advance
Jo

James

ViP

Member since 20 June 2010

Macaé

Brazil & Canada Expert

James

09 March 2016 21:47:09

11272

James

09 March 2016 21:47:09

11272

Macaé

You don't need an Immigration Lawyer or Immigration Consultant, unless you're completely incapable of dealing with bureaucratic processes. In fact, Citizenship and Immigration Canada warns on their website to beware of fraudulent consultants and lawyers who will take your money and do absolutely nothing. Even the reputable ones will do little beyond what you can do yourself for free online through CIC's government website. www.cic.gc.ca/english

If you do use a Immigrations Consultant make sure to ask for their ICCRC registration number and check them out online first. If you use a lawyer, contact the Law Society of the province he/she practices in to see if there are any complaints.

See the following topic for more information: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=376293

Cheers,
James
https://www.expat.com Experts Team

philipyeo

Serial expat

Member since 28 May 2014

Halifax

philipyeo

15 March 2016 15:14:58

582

philipyeo

15 March 2016 15:14:58

582

Halifax

The use of a immigration consultant is meant to ease the pain of deciphering the confusing instructions that CIC. There are many unspoken or unwritten rules too that only a very experienced immigration consultant can help you with in advoiding potential pitfalls. Besides a registered and qualified consultant have a more direct line to the CIC folks that ordinary applicants don't. If you were a single adult, that isn't too busy, I'd say go at it on your own. But with a family, IMHO, I'd go with a consultant to mitigate the risk.

smurenje

Member

Member since 12 September 2014

Bonnyville

smurenje

21 March 2016 21:51:06

smurenje

21 March 2016 21:51:06

Bonnyville

Immigration lawyers are expensive here l came from UK as well. I did the process on my own. I came first then sourced for a place to stay for my family then l applied for my family it didn't take long before we got reunited. I left UK end of of July my family joined me end of of November
The application process is very easy

murillomarco

New member

Member since 08 September 2010

murillomarco

05 April 2016 06:44:36

murillomarco

05 April 2016 06:44:36

Hello

I applied for a "skilled worker" visa on my own, following the protocols that the Canadian consulate has in my country of origin. It took me 11 months to complete the paperwork and get approved with a grant to receive the Landed Immigrant Status upon my arrival in 2003.

This year, I began to create a file with notes others like me could use when considering Canada as their destination to immigrate. I would like to write something about what is like to be in Canada as an immigrant but since I love blogs, I might end up sharing these thoughts online. My father was a writer and I did some editing for him, which leaded to a book published in Madrid in 2011. We sell it through Amazon.com. I opened a Paypal account and started playing with it a while ago.

If you get along well with your partner, my suggestion is to sit together around a table at home at certain times of the day once or twice a week, plan a trip to the Canadian consulate, grab there a guide to immigrate to Canada and follow the steps one by one cheering each other up to accomplish the process. Create a file for each and update your status once a week with a checking list. If you face a situation where you no longer can solve it, go to the consulate and if they authorize you, ask a lawyer to solve the issue. Lawyers alone cannot do much without a good advice from the Canadian consulate.

Marco Antonio Murillo
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