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Find an Immigration Lawyer or RCIC in Canada

Who is allowed to charge you, which register proves it, and the referral service in every province and territory

Immigration advice for a fee is regulated in Canada. Three kinds of person may be paid to represent you, each licensed by a body that publishes a register anyone can search for nothing.

Last verified: 2026-09-08

Who is allowed to be paid to represent you

There is no national list of immigration lawyers in Canada, and there is a specific reason to be careful here that does not apply to most legal problems: immigration advice for a fee is a regulated activity, and paying the wrong person is both a waste of money and a risk to the application itself. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada names three categories of person who may be paid to represent someone. Everyone else may help for free, and nobody else may charge.

The three are a lawyer, or a notary in Quebec, licensed by a provincial or territorial law society or by the Chambre des notaires du Québec; an immigration consultant licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants; and, in Ontario only, a paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. Each of those bodies runs a public register, and checking a name in the register takes a minute and costs nothing. Do that before paying anyone, and do it again if the person you were introduced to is not the person whose name goes on the form.

Once you know which route you want, the table below gives the referral service for each province and territory, and whether the official page says the first consultation is free. A referral service does not recommend a particular lawyer and does not promise an outcome. It matches a described problem to a member who has volunteered for that area of practice, and it sets the terms of the first meeting so the cost is known in advance. Where an official page does not state those terms, the table says so rather than guessing.

The three categories of paid immigration representative Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada recognises, the body that licenses each, and where the public can check. Verified 8 September 2026 against the IRCC page on authorised representatives.
WhoLicensed byWhere to checkWorth knowing
A lawyer, or a notary in QuebecA Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or the Chambre des notaires du QuébecLaw society directory for the province or territoryA lawyer can act at the Immigration and Refugee Board and can also take a matter to the Federal Court, which the other two routes cannot do. Most law societies let you check online whether a person is a member in good standing.
An immigration consultantThe College of Immigration and Citizenship ConsultantsCICC Public Register of RCICs and RISIAsThe College is the regulator, and its public register is where a consultant’s licence is confirmed. A person calling themselves a consultant who is not on that register is not authorised to charge you.
A paralegal, in Ontario onlyThe Law Society of OntarioLaw Society of Ontario Lawyer and Paralegal DirectoryOntario is the only province where a licensed paralegal may be paid to represent someone on an immigration matter. A paralegal licensed anywhere else is not an authorised representative.

This table scrolls sideways. Drag or shift-scroll it to see every column.

A lot of immigration help is free

Before paying anyone, it is worth knowing that a good deal of immigration and refugee help in Canada is free, and that using it does not stop you retaining someone later. Legal aid in most provinces covers refugee claims and detention reviews for people who meet the financial test, and the community legal clinics and settlement agencies that run alongside it will often complete a form with you at no charge. None of that requires an authorised representative, because nobody is being paid.

The rule about who may charge applies to paid representation. A friend, a family member or a volunteer at an organisation may help you for free, and IRCC allows that, but their name still has to go on the Use of a Representative form if they are acting for you. What nobody may do, paid or unpaid, is give you advice while pretending to a licence they do not hold.

Law society referral service, province by province

This route finds a lawyer. For an immigration consultant, search the CICC public register instead, and for the full set of official directories see the IRCC page on authorised representatives.

Law society referral service and stated initial-consultation terms for each Canadian province and territory. Ontario and Alberta were re-checked on 8 September 2026; the remaining eleven rows carry the 5 September 2026 check forward. Where an official page states no terms, this table says so.
Province or territoryReferral serviceFirst consultation
AlbertaNo referral service. The Law Society of Alberta closed its Lawyer Referral Service on September 22, 2023 and now offers a searchable Lawyer Directory insteadNot stated
British ColumbiaLegal Referral Service, run by Access Pro Bono, which took over the Law Society's referral service“15 to 30 minutes of free consultation”. A $25 booking fee applies to online self-booking, and to phone bookings where household income exceeded $100,000 in the past year
ManitobaLaw Phone-In & Lawyer Referral Program, run by the Community Legal Education Association and pointed to by the Law Society of ManitobaFree: “The first interview with that lawyer is free (up to half an hour)”
New BrunswickNo referral service. The Law Society of New Brunswick states “We do not offer a lawyer referral service” and offers a public member directoryNot stated
Newfoundland and LabradorLawyer Referral Service, run by the Public Legal Information Association of NL, which the Law Society points the public atNot free: a 30-minute consultation at a flat $40 including taxes
Nova ScotiaLawyer Referral Service, run by the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia. The Barristers' Society states “We do not recommend lawyers” and directs the public to LISNSNot free by default: “up to a 30 minute initial consultation” for “no more than $20 plus tax”, and participating lawyers may waive the fee
OntarioLaw Society Referral Service, run by the Law Society of Ontario, covering both lawyers and licensed paralegalsFree: the service gives “the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will provide a free consultation of up to 30 minutes”, subject to a match being available
Prince Edward IslandReferral service run by Community Legal Information. The Law Society states “It is not our mandate to recommend lawyers” and offers a lawyer directoryNot stated
QuebecRegional referral services listed by the Barreau du Québec, including the Barreau de Montréal referral serviceNot free: Montreal and Quebec City charge for the “first 60 minutes of the consultation for $60”; the Longueuil area charges for the “first 30 minutes of the consultation for $50”
SaskatchewanNo referral service listed. The Law Society of Saskatchewan offers the Find Legal Assistance Directory, which can be filtered for limited-scope services and legal coachingNot stated
Northwest TerritoriesFind a Lawyer, run by the Law Society of the Northwest Territories, listing lawyers who have asked to be referred by area of practiceNot stated
NunavutLawyer referrals by area of practice, run by the Law Society of Nunavut, listing members who have chosen to be includedNot stated
YukonLawyer Referral Service, run by the Law Society of YukonNot free: “one half-hour initial consultation” at “$30.00 (including GST) and is payable to the lawyer at the consultation”

This table scrolls sideways. Drag or shift-scroll it to see every column.

Listed practitioners

A listing is not an endorsement and not a recommendation. It means we searched the public register of the body that licenses that person, on the date shown, and found them. We do not review anyone’s work, we do not track how their cases turned out, and we do not rank practitioners by outcome. A paid tier buys a fuller presentation on this page, nothing else. Confirm anyone’s standing with their regulator before you retain them.

Featured Expert

Navratan Singh Fateh

Fateh Law Corporation

British Columbia

Immigration practice covering refusals, IRCC processing delays and applications to the Federal Court, alongside sponsorship, permit and temporary residence work. Called to the bar in British Columbia in 2014.

Practice areas, as given by the practitioner

  • Permanent resident travel documents
  • Visitor visas
  • Spousal and family sponsorship
  • Study and work permits
  • Temporary resident permits
  • Criminal rehabilitation
  • Procedural fairness and misrepresentation
  • IRCC delays and mandamus
  • Judicial review
Website
navratanfateh.com

What we checked

We searched the Law Society of BC Lawyer Directory on 2026-09-08. Current status Practising, call date October 14, 2014, primary location Fateh Law Corporation. A licence can change at any time, so check the register yourself before you retain anyone.

Office address not published. The Law Society record and the listing request give different addresses, and we publish neither until the practitioner confirms which one is current.

This listing is published at the paid tier at no charge, as the founding listing on this directory. No money changed hands.

Frequently asked questions about finding an immigration representative

Who is allowed to charge a fee for immigration advice in Canada?
Three groups, and no others. A lawyer or, in Quebec, a notary who is a member of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society or of the Chambre des notaires du Québec. An immigration consultant who is a member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. A paralegal who is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, and only in Ontario. That is the list IRCC publishes on its page about authorised representatives. Anyone outside those three groups may help you for free, but may not charge you, and paying an unauthorised person does not make their work acceptable to IRCC.
How do I check that a representative is really licensed?
Look them up in the public register of the body that licenses them, and do it yourself rather than accepting a screenshot or a certificate. Immigration consultants are in the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants public register at register.college-ic.ca, which exists so that anyone can verify a consultant’s status as a licensee. Lawyers are in the directory run by the law society of the province or territory where they were called, and IRCC links to all thirteen of those directories from its authorised-representatives page. Ontario paralegals are in the Law Society of Ontario directory. Search by the name that will appear on your forms.
Is a listing on this page a recommendation?
No. A listing means we found that person in the public register of the body that licenses them on the date shown, and nothing more. We do not review their work, we do not track how their cases turned out, and we do not rank practitioners by outcome. A paid listing buys a fuller presentation on this page, not our endorsement. Check the register yourself before you retain anyone, ask what the fee covers, and get it in writing.
Is the first consultation free?
It depends on the province, and only three official pages say it is. In Ontario the Law Society Referral Service gives the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will provide a free consultation of up to 30 minutes. In British Columbia the Access Pro Bono Legal Referral Service states 15 to 30 minutes of free consultation, with a $25 booking fee for online self-booking and for phone bookings where household income exceeded $100,000. In Manitoba the Community Legal Education Association states the first interview is free, up to half an hour. Elsewhere it is priced or the official page states no terms at all. A private firm may of course offer a free first call regardless of what the referral service charges.
Do I need a lawyer to make a refugee claim?
No, and many people do not have one. A claim can be made and a hearing can be attended without a representative. Legal aid in most provinces covers refugee claims and detention reviews for people who meet the financial test, and community legal clinics and settlement agencies help for free. A lawyer becomes more important where the route out of a refusal runs through a court rather than a form: an application for leave and judicial review at the Federal Court is a court proceeding with short deadlines, and neither a consultant nor a paralegal can conduct it.

Professional Listing Tiers

A listing puts your practice in front of people searching for immigration help in Canada. It is not a recommendation from us, and we do not rank practitioners by outcome.

Basic Listing

Free

Always free

  • Name, title, city, practice area
  • Link to your entry in the official register (law society or CICC)
  • Appears in the province listing
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Enhanced Listing

$79/month

$790/year (save $158)

  • Everything in Basic
  • Expanded practice description
  • Direct phone, email and website link
  • Practice area badges
  • Appears above all Basic listings
Get Enhanced — $79/mo

Featured Expert

$149/month

$1,490/year (save $298)

  • Everything in Enhanced
  • Featured Expert badge on the listing
  • Top-of-page placement in the directory
  • Full profile with logo
  • Cross-promoted on related content pages
Become Featured — $149/mo

Are you an immigration lawyer or RCIC?

Basic listings are free. Every listing is checked against the public register of the body that licenses you before it is published, and we will ask you for the registration details so we can do that.

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Still not sure where to start?

Write to us and we will point you at the official register or referral service for your province. We cannot give legal advice and we do not recommend individual practitioners.

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