After a study permit refusal, an applicant found no new agent would take the case: the university still listed the former agent as agent-of-record, so any commission on approval would flow to him. Members laid out the fix, which has two independent halves:
- University side — email the school directly. Multiple members said the same thing: write to the college/university asking to change or remove your agent. It typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the school's responsiveness. One member added a useful nuance: some schools won't transfer you to a new agent, but they can certainly remove the existing one from your file.
- IRCC side — Form IMM5476. Changing who represents you on the visa application itself is done with the Use of a Representative form (IMM5476), which both appoints a new representative and cancels the old one. Discuss this with the new agent or consultant.
- Consider skipping study agents altogether. One member's alternative: rather than another commission-driven education agent, pay an IRCC-authorised immigration consultant directly for the reapplication — their fee structure doesn't depend on university commissions, which is exactly the conflict that caused this problem.