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New Regulations for Paid Representatives

The new regulations state that paid representatives must be authorized:

• in order to conduct business on behalf of clients when dealing with the Government of Canada in immigration and refugee matters

Authorized, paid representatives may only be:

• immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants;
• lawyers who are members in good standing of a Canadian law society and students-at-law under their supervision; and
• notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec and students-at-law under their supervision.

If you have an application or proceeding already underway as of April 13, 2004, you may continue to use the services of your paid representative until April 13, 2008.

After April 13, 2008, if your representative is not a member of one of the organizations listed above, you may choose to either continue unrepresented or to hire an authorized representative.

You are not obliged to hire a representative for immigration or refugee matters. The Government of Canada treats everyone equally, whether they use the services of a representative or not.

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