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The most controversial fact about licensing is the fact that there are many consultants who still practice even though they are not licensed. They often offer substantial discounts on the standard fees that are usually charged by licensed consultants and thus attract consumers that are not familiar with the licensing issue. By hiring unlicensed consultant the client may save money but is exposed to risk that cannot be mitigated by filing a complaint to the Society. CSIC has NO power over unlicensed consultants.
You can verify whether your consultant is licensed on CSIC website: http://www.csic-scci.ca/find/all.html
If you are interested in reading more about the issue please download a paper prepared by Lynn Gaudet in 2005. Not much has changed since 2005 other than paralegals being regulated by the Law Society and not being allowed to practice immigration law. This remains the privilege of lawyers and licensed consultants.
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