Who may be paid to represent you
Canadian law allows only three kinds of paid representative to advise or represent you on an immigration application: a lawyer or paralegal in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, a notary in good standing with the Chambre des notaires du Québec, or a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Anyone else who charges a fee for immigration advice is not authorized to give it.
What a regulated immigration consultant does
An RCIC is a licensed, regulated professional. Within the scope of practice set by the CICC, an RCIC can assess your eligibility, advise on which programs realistically apply to you, prepare your application and supporting evidence, submit it to IRCC, and communicate with IRCC on your behalf until a decision is made. Sifton is an RCIC practice: Ziryan Rashid holds CICC licence R523097.
What a lawyer can do that a consultant cannot
A lawyer can represent you in court, including an application for judicial review of a refusal at the Federal Court of Canada, and can advise on matters that are not immigration matters — criminal charges, family law, or business structuring, for example. An RCIC's authority comes from the CICC and does not extend to representing you in court.
Which one your situation needs
For most work permits, study permits, permanent-residence applications, family sponsorships and status extensions, an RCIC can do everything required from the first assessment through to submission. Where a matter needs a lawyer — a Federal Court challenge, a serious inadmissibility question, or a question that is not an immigration question — we say so during the consultation instead of taking the file.
How to check any representative before you pay
Ask for the licence number and check it yourself on the regulator's public register before paying anything: the CICC register for consultants, the relevant provincial law society for lawyers. Ask what the fee covers and what it does not, and get the answer in writing. No authorized representative of any kind can guarantee an outcome — immigration decisions are made by the responsible Canadian government authority.