Frequently Asked
Questions

  • An Immigration Consultant is a professional who acts on behalf of a client that is making an application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada and/or Canada Border Services Agency

  • Yes, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC’s) are governed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) and we are required to attend schooling and pass a national skills examination. We also have continuing education requirements every year to keep up to date with changing law.

  • The Canadian Immigration process can be confusing and using a trained professional can lessen the likelihood of errors in an application while streamlining the process ensuring the correct application is used and submitted.

  • An Immigration Consultant is able to wade through the IRCC information and provide you with confidence in your application. Where a client may deal with IRCC once, I do it every day, in many different situations.

  • At Beyond Borders our Immigration Consultant brings her experience as an Immigration officer with Canada Border Services Agency. This experience means that she has seen many diverse cases and situations and can utilize this experience into successful cases for her clients. She understands what an immigration officer at CBSA is looking for when processing an application and is able to put this understanding into your application, giving you Trust, Experience and Integrity.

  • Overall, immigration applications have become electronic. This allows for a consultant to work with a client in all different locations. Technology also allows for close communication through phone, email, text, mail and Skype. Beyond Borders Immigration utilizes all of these to ensure clients are always aware of their application status.

  • Unfortunately no, if any immigration practitioner is offering this type of service it should raise a red flag for you. In the end, it is not the immigration consultant that makes the final decision on your application; it is up to the officer processing the case. However, using a RCIC will ensure that your application has the best chance of being successful.

  • The first step is to have an initial consultation with the RCIC. The RCIC will assess your situation and determine the best course of action specific to your application and current situation.

    If you are satisfied with the consultation and decide to retain our services, I will work directly with you to present all your options and proceed in a route that you have confidence with. Others may offer free consultations, but remember- you get what you pay for. If you have a consultation with me, I am going to make sure its full and complete and worth my consultation fee.

    Through the entire processing of your application Beyond Borders will handle the correspondence with IRCC about your application, while keeping you up to date on all matters. This allows for you to have piece of mind from beginning to end.

  • The straight answer is unfortunately, no. Again, if any immigration practitioner is offering this type of promise it should raise a red flag for you. It is not the consultant or lawyer that processes the application, it is the CBSA or IRCC officer and they have wait times/processing times. However, there are ways that hiring Beyond Borders that will help in speeding up the process. Ensuring your application is accurate and complete the first time, will lessen the chance of having to go back over your case.

  • No, I am not a lawyer. I have focused my education strictly on immigration. As a consultant we are required to have specific training and certification that is focused on immigration law and processes. As well as all the training I received while working as an immigration officer with Canada Border Services Agency. This gives my clients the confidence that my information is knowledgeable and trustworthy, while offering services that are generally more affordable than provided by a law firm.

  • When applying for any type of immigration status you are going to want someone to help you that has the competence and knowledge and can work with in a trusting relationship. I can offer you that relationship, because in the end to the officer deciding your application, it did not matter if the application came from a lawyer or as a consultant. There are good lawyers and good consultants and bad lawyers and bad consultants. I am that good consultant, who will offer you Trust, Experience and Integrity.

  • The only limitation to immigration consultants is being a representative in Federal Court. At this level only lawyers can represent clients. In all other aspects of immigrations applications and cases a consultant can act as your representative.