According to the new rules, a paid representative must be authorized to provide the relevant services. Paid representatives may include: immigration consultants who are members of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants and are in good standing with the Society;
lawyers who are members in good standing of the Canadian Bar Association and law students under their supervision;
notaries who are members in good standing of the Chamber of Notaries of Quebec and law students under their supervision.
The applicant will be required to provide the name and membership information of their representative in the relevant organization when submitting the application.
If your application or case is being processed during the period from April 13, 2004, you may continue to use your representative's services until April 13, 2008. After April 13, 2004, if your paid representative is not a member of one of the aforementioned organizations, you may represent yourself or hire an authorized representative.
Applicants may be represented by family members, friends, or members of community or religious organizations, provided they do not receive any payment for this. The Government of Canada may share information about the applicant with an unpaid representative if that representative has the appropriate authorization from the applicant, is a Canadian citizen, and resides permanently in Canada.
No one is required to hire a representative for immigration or refugee protection matters. The Government of Canada treats everyone equally, regardless of whether they use the services of a representative or not.
For further information on authorized representatives, the immigration section of the Canadian Embassy recommends visiting the website cic.gc.ca