FAQs
You can verify a consultant by searching their full name or license number on the official College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants CICC online public register. Authorized Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants RCICs must maintain active standing and professional liability insurance to legally represent you.
Candidates need to qualify under Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades streams. Points are calculated through the Comprehensive Ranking System based on age, education, language skills in English or French, and work experience to receive an Invitation to Apply.
You must provide proof of unencumbered financial support covering your first year of tuition plus at least twenty two thousand eight hundred ninety five dollars for living expenses. Master and doctoral applicants may also need additional proof of funds depending on accompanying family members.
No, Visitors currently cannot apply for an inside Canada work permit even if they obtain an approved Labour Market Impact Assessment job offer. They need to apply from outside of Canada.
There are many reasons for that, which includes prior refusals, Inmissibilities, lack of sufficient proof of funds, failure to satisfy the officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, incomplete documentation, and choosing an education program that lacks clear career progression.
Both are authorized representatives under s. 91 IRPA, and within the immigration system their authority is largely the same. They are both referred as Counsel during IRB and Inmissibility hearings. An RCIC‑IRB holds the top class of licence CICC grants unrestricted practice under IRPA and the Citizenship Act, including representation before all four divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board, which most RCICs are not licensed to do. An immigration lawyer can do all of that too, and two things beyond it: appear at Federal Court on judicial review, which RCIC-IRB cannot; and advise on adjacent areas such as criminal or family law where those intersect with your immigration matter. Communications with a lawyer also carry solicitor‑client privilege. For applications, appeals, LMIAs, and IRB hearings, an RCIC‑IRB is fully authorized to act for you if your file needs Federal Court or a criminal defence, we will tell you and refer you to a proper Immigration Lawyer.
IRCC decides applications for permits, visas, and permanent residence. The Immigration and Refugee Board is an independent tribunal that hears refugee claims, immigration appeals, admissibility hearings, and detention reviews. Different bodies, different procedures, and only some representatives are licensed to appear before the IRB.
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is a decision from Employment and Social Development Canada confirming that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively affect the Canadian labour market. Most employer‑specific work permits require one, and the employer applies for it not the worker. A positive LMIA lets the worker then apply for a work permit.
A stream of the LMIA process for employers hiring in high‑demand technology and specialized occupations, with faster service standards than a regular LMIA. Category A is for referrals from a designated partner hiring unique specialized talent; Category B is for occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List. Every GTS employer must also commit to a Labour Market Benefits Plan.
A written commitment an employer makes under the Global Talent Stream to create lasting benefits for the Canadian labour market such as job creation, skills investment, or training. ESDC reviews progress against it, so it is an ongoing obligation, not a one‑time form.