For applicants weighing whether to hire a paid immigration agency to handle their Canada PR application:
- Don't expect white-glove, in-person service. One applicant noted it's unlikely an agency will come to your home, collect all your documents, and walk you through everything in person — manage your expectations about what a paid service actually delivers.
- Most of the process is self-explanatory and doable yourself. Multiple applicants in immigration communities like this one have successfully self-filed by researching the official IRCC steps and asking specific questions in community groups when they get stuck, rather than paying an agency.
This isn't a blanket claim that all agencies are unreliable, but it reflects a common sentiment in applicant communities: verify any agency's credentials and reviews carefully before paying, since self-filing with community support is a proven, lower-cost path for many applicants.