Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (“RCIC”) and a counsellor at an international student agency or the international student advisor at a post secondary school?

According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, no individual may provide visa/immigration advice for a fee unless the person is a member in good standing of either:

  1. A bar of a province;
  2. The Chambre des notaires du Québec; or
  3. The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (“CICC”).

Therefore counsellors from international student agencies or advisors from a post secondary school are prohibited from providing any visa/immigration related legal advice to individuals, unless the person is described above.

The Director of Aya K. Immigration Services, Aya Kawakita-Nguyen, is a member in good standing of the CICC.

What is the benefit of retaining an RCIC?

There are several reasons why retaining an RCIC might benefit you:

 

  • RCICs are always up to date with current Immigration Law in Canada and therefore are able to give you advice leading to the best solution for your case depending on when you want to file an application.
  • An experienced RCIC will give you many useful tips based on their previous cases. In addition to their past experience, RCICs have access to a professional online network where high level discussions take place and best practices are shared. This network and the wealth of information that is communicated on a daily basis is not available to the public.
  • Once the application is submitted to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the RCIC will be responsible for all the communications with the government on behalf of you. Additionally, they will keep you updated on your case throughout the process. Many people struggle with dealing with the government because of language barriers or time constraints that an RCIC will not have.
  • Every case is different and there are times when cases become more complicated during the process. An RCIC will plan for these times because they are capable of adapting to cases of growing complexity and will always give you the best solution to avoid unnecessary delay or errors. RCICs are capable of adopting those complicated cases and give you the best solution to avoid negative outcomes during the process.
Do you only consult with the permanent residence cases?

We consult with many different types of cases such as temporary resident visas and citizenship applications. Please refer to  Our Services page for the list of services we provide.

Do you charge a consultation fee?

Yes, however, our consultation fee varies depending on the type of cases.

What is included in the professional fee?
The following is included in our professional fee:
 

  • Reviewing, revising and typing out all application forms
  • Providing a customised checklist of documents and explaining each item
  • Reviewing all supporting documents
  • Drafting a Submission letter (a legal cover letter explaining the nature of the case and submission of the applicable laws to Immigration Officers which is drafted and signed by the Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant)
  • All communication with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on behalf of clients after the submission
  • Monitoring of the case
  • Additional and continuous consultation with the clients throughout the process
What is not included in the professional fee?
The following is not included in our retainer fee:
 

  • Visa application processing fee
  • Processing fee & the Right of Permanent Residence fee
  • Certified translation costs
  • Police clearance certificate application fee
  • Medical examination fee
  • Courier fee (Fedex, UPS, etc.)
My friends told me that they filed their applications on their own…

Although we recommend our prospective clients to have an open mind and contact us if you are interested in our services, it is entirely up to you to decide whether or not you want to retain an RCIC for your case.

Please feel free to reach out to us from here anytime. We are just an email away.

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“Without any delays, after our first meeting, Aya quickly helped me to select the most suitable program that would work for me based on my assessment. Aya’s attention to details made all the complicated paperwork and documents was less stressful and more accurate.”

N.D., Provincial Nominee Program

Let’s get connected so we can discover your possibilities.

There are three ways to contact us. We will get back to you within 24-48 business hours.

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