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Central Alberta, Canada
Immigration Help

Get immigration help.

Whether you're exploring your options or ready to apply, here's where to start.

  • Free pathway guides you can read first
  • A free Express Entry score check
  • A flat-fee initial consultation
  • A CICC-regulated partner, not an agent
Learn what to expect

Start here

Ways to start, before booking a full consultation.

We recommend consulting with a regulated immigration professional to assess your unique situation and explore the best options available, from work permits to permanent residence pathways.

Read the free pathway guides

Understand your options before you book.

Read the guides

Try the Express Entry score calculator

Get a sense of where you stand, free and no sign-up.

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No surprises

What to expect from a consultation.

Step 1

Share your situation and goals

Step 2

A regulated consultant reviews your options

Step 3

You leave with a clear next step

Know who you're paying

Regulated consultant, or lawyer - what's the difference?

In Canada, only two types of professionals are legally allowed to charge a fee for immigration advice: a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or an immigration lawyer. Both are licensed and both can help with your application. Here's how they differ.

Check a licence on the CICC register

A Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) is licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Their training is focused entirely on immigration - they study Canada's immigration system in depth and must pass a licensing exam before they can practise. An RCIC can prepare and submit your application, communicate with the government on your behalf, and represent you through most immigration processes.

An immigration lawyer is a member of a provincial law society. Their training covers law more broadly, with immigration as one part of it. Because they're licensed to practise law, only a lawyer can represent you at Federal Court, for example, if an application is denied and you want to appeal that decision through the courts.

Which one do you need? For most situations, work permits, permanent residence applications, sponsorship, and citizenship, an RCIC has the specialized training to guide you through the process. If your situation involves a legal dispute or a Federal Court matter, a lawyer is the right choice instead.

Always verify before you pay. Anyone charging for immigration advice must be licensed. You can check a consultant's status on the CICC public register, or a lawyer's status through their provincial law society. This protects you, working with someone unlicensed can put your application, and your status in Canada, at real risk.

Go to the source

Other resources.

IRCC official website Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - the source of record for every program and fee. CICC public register of licensed consultants Check any consultant's status before you pay them anything.

Regional immigration consultants and lawyers

Immigration Care logo Immigration Care Navigating immigration with clarity, confidence and care. CICC-regulated, Red Deer.
  • CRT Legal Red Deer, AB
  • Woodland Immigration Consulting Services Ltd. Three Hills, AB
  • Kensian & Associates Red Deer, AB
  • Woodbine Legal Services Red Deer, AB
  • MNB Prestige Immigration Services Ltd.

Always confirm any consultant's licence on the CICC public register before paying for immigration advice. Only CICC-licensed consultants and lawyers can represent you with the Canadian government for a fee. Work Central Alberta does not provide immigration advice and does not endorse any individual practitioner.