Before signing up with any immigration consultancy, it's worth independently verifying whether they're actually licensed to provide immigration advice in Canada, rather than relying on their own claims or website.
What the group advised:- Unlicensed consultants operate illegally when it comes to giving immigration advice, and using one carries risk to you as a client — proceed at your own risk if a firm can't show proper licensing.
- Look up the consultant/firm on the official regulator's public register to confirm their license status directly, rather than trusting claims made on their own marketing materials.
- Consider handling more of the process yourself. Group members noted that many applicants successfully self-file through Express Entry, PNP, or study/visitor applications without paying a consultant at all, since the required steps are documented on IRCC's own site and in community groups like this one.
When in doubt about a specific consultancy's legitimacy, verifying their license directly with the regulator is the concrete first step before paying any fees.