Why an authorized representative

Polinsys gives paid immigration advice through its authorized representative, Joy Stephen, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), CICC licence R419719. This page is for anyone, in Canada or abroad, who is about to pay someone for help with a Canadian application and wants to know who is allowed to take that money, and what they owe you in return.

Who may charge for Canadian immigration advice

Canadian law is short and strict on this point. Under section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, no one may advise or represent you on a Canadian immigration or citizenship matter for a fee, or offer to, unless they are one of the following:

a lawyer or notary in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or with the Chambre des notaires du Québec;
a paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario;
a licensee of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), such as an RCIC.

The licence belongs to a person, not to a company. A firm, an agency or an office cannot be "licensed"; a named individual is. That is why every Polinsys page names Joy Stephen, RCIC, and the licence number, and why your agreement with us names Joy Stephen too. Staff in our offices in Canada and India help with documents, scheduling and follow-up under the licensee's supervision. They do not give immigration advice on their own, and any written advice you rely on comes from Joy Stephen.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says plainly that it "won't deal with representatives who charge a fee but are not authorized". You also stay responsible for everything in your application, even when someone else fills it in.

How to check a licence in two minutes

Open the CICC public register (French: registre.college-ic.ca).
Search by the person's name, or by their College ID. For us, search Stephen or R419719.
Check that the status is Active and that the licensee is entitled to practise. The register also shows licence history, contact details, agents and any discipline history.

IRCC's page on authorized paid representatives links to the same directory and adds: "If they are not members in good standing, you should not use their services." If the person you are speaking to is not on the register, or is listed only as someone's agent, ask who the licensee is, and check that person instead.

Ghost consultants and the warning signs

A "ghost consultant" is someone who takes money for immigration advice without a licence, often while keeping their name off the application. Some work alone; some sit inside large agencies abroad, beyond the reach of Canadian law. IRCC's fraud pages describe the signs, and they are worth reading slowly:

A guarantee. In IRCC's words, "No one can guarantee you a job or a visa to Canada." A licensee is not allowed to guarantee an outcome either.
A job offer or an LMIA for sale. Buying or selling a job offer or a Labour Market Impact Assessment is fraud. Find work directly with employers.
A salary that "seems too high to be real".
Payments to personal accounts or through private money-transfer services. Government fees are the same everywhere and go only to the Receiver General for Canada.
"Free" help that later charges, offers of paid "faster biometrics", pressure to decide today, or advice to leave something out or say something untrue.

Giving false information on an application can lead to refusal and a five-year ban. If you are offered any of the above, report it to IRCC through its online fraud form, to the Canada Border Services Agency, or to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Unlicensed practice can also be reported to CICC through its online form for unauthorized practitioners.

What you are entitled to from a licensee

The CICC Code of Professional Conduct sets out what an RCIC must give every client. In plain terms:

A written consultation agreement before a first paid consultation, naming the licensee and their registration number, the fee, the purpose of the consultation and the College's role.
A written service agreement before any service begins. You get a draft first. It lists the services and timeframes, the estimated fees, disbursements and taxes, the payment terms and refund policy, who will assist with your file, how your documents will be returned, the complaint procedure, and the College's role as regulator. You receive a signed copy and a copy of the Code.
Fair and reasonable fees. Anything above the estimate needs your written agreement, and invoices come after the work is done.
A client trust account. Money you pay in advance is held in trust at a financial institution approved by the College. It is withdrawn only after an invoice for completed work.
Disclosure of any conflict of interest in writing, with your written consent before the licensee acts. See Conflicts of interest.
Confidentiality, which continues even after your file closes.
Your file and money back at the end. Within 30 days of completing or ending the work, the licensee returns your documents, accounts for your money, issues a final invoice and refunds any excess.

If a licensee does not meet these duties, you can complain to them first and to CICC at any time. See Complaints.

Why it matters to a family

Most of the families who write to us are planning a move that will shape their children's lives. An application built on a promise from an unlicensed agent can end in a refusal, a ban and money that cannot be recovered. A licensee, by contrast, answers to a regulator, keeps your advance payments in trust, works under a written agreement and can be held to account through a public complaints process. Under rules in force since 15 July 2026, the CICC compensation fund can cover clients who lose money through a licensee's dishonest act. It does not cover people who dealt with unlicensed consultants.

How Polinsys helps

You can check us first. Search Joy Stephen, RCIC, CICC licence R419719 on the CICC public register before you share anything.
You can meet the licensee before you pay. Joy Stephen answers questions live at our free Friday Q&A, most Fridays. Details are at FREE Webinars: Resource Guides and AR Q&A.
An honest assessment comes before any fee. We tell you in writing what we see in your profile, including when an approach is unlikely to work, before you sign anything. See Working with Polinsys.
Everything is in writing. Consultation and service agreements, invoices, receipts and advice are kept in your client account.

Read more about our integrity commitments, or write to us with the form below.