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"Free consultation" with an immigration consultant: what it covers

A no-charge call is allowed, but it is not the same thing as a paid advice consultation, and the price of that paid consultation must be written in a consultation agreement before it starts (Code s.23). If the consultation itself is genuinely at no charge, the agreement has to say so. IRCC warns about representatives who "advertise their services as free and later ask you to pay a fee."

"Immigration consultant free consultation" and "immigration lawyer free consultation" are among the most common searches people make before hiring help in Canada. Some advisers do offer a first call at no charge; if the advice consultation on your own facts has a fee, that fee must be in writing before the consultation starts. This page explains what the rules require around any consultation, paid or not, so you can tell what you are actually being offered and what it will cost after the first call.

Every consultation starts with a written agreement, even one at no charge

The Code of Professional Conduct for consultants says: "Before a licensee has an initial consultation with a potential client with respect to the provision of immigration or citizenship consulting services, the licensee must enter into a written consultation agreement with that potential client" (Code s.23(1)).

The agreement must state "the fee for the consultation or, if the consultation is provided pro bono, a statement to that effect" (s.23(2)(c)), together with the consultant's name and registration number, a description of the College's role as their regulator, and the purpose and scope of the consultation. The consultant keeps a signed copy and gives you one.

So the rule is the same whether the consultation costs nothing or has a price: it is written down first, with its scope. A consultation offered at no charge is recorded as pro bono; a paid one carries its fee in the same document.

A no-charge call and a paid consultation are different things

Advisers use "free consultation" to mean different things, and the paid advice consultation that may follow has its own fee, which must be in a written agreement before it starts. It can mean a short call to check whether they handle your type of case, or it can mean a full advice session. The Code's definition of "client" shows why the difference matters. A person becomes a client when they have entered into a consultation or service agreement, or "consults with a licensee who provides or agrees to provide immigration or citizenship consulting services to them" (Code s.1(1)).

What you can ask before booking: - Is this call covered by a consultation agreement, and does it say pro bono? - What does the agreement say the purpose and scope are? - If you then want advice on your own facts, what is the fee for that consultation, and will it be in a new consultation agreement or a service agreement?

The answers tell you whether the no-charge call is an introduction or the advice itself, and what the next step costs.

What IRCC warns about

IRCC's "Learn about representatives" page includes this warning among its fraud signs: be wary of representatives who advertise free services and later ask for a fee. It also warns about representatives who advise you to lie on your application, and reminds applicants: "You are responsible for all the information in your application, even if your representative completes it for you."

The College's fraud-prevention tips are practical: verify the consultant is listed as "active" on the Public Register, check disciplinary notices, ask for references, compare fees with other consultants, and contact the consultant "who will handle your application" directly, using the contact information on the register.

Advertising rules for the adviser

When a consultant markets their services, the Code says their name as registered with the College must be "prominently displayed or announced at or near the beginning of any advertisement," and any written advertisement must include the internet address of the College's online public register (Code s.44(1)). They must not make "false, misleading or inaccurate representations," guarantee the success of an application, or imply a relationship with the federal or a provincial government (s.44(2)).

The Competition Act adds a general rule about price claims. A price "that is not attainable due to fixed obligatory charges or fees" is a false or misleading representation, unless the extra charge is only a tax or other amount imposed by law (s.74.01(1.1)).

For Ontario lawyers who advertise a fee, rule 4.2-2 requires the advertising to be "reasonably precise as to the services offered for each fee quoted," to say whether disbursements, third-party charges and taxes are extra, and the lawyer must stick to the advertised fee in every applicable case.

Information you can get at no cost from the government

Some of what people hope to get from a no-charge consultation is published by IRCC itself. Its Help Centre says the forms and information needed to apply for an eTA, a visa or to immigrate "are available for free on this website" (the government's application fees are still payable when you apply), and that IRCC "treats everyone equally, whether they use a representative or not." IRCC's processing-times and application-status tools are on canada.ca.

What IRCC's pages cannot do is apply the rules to your own facts. That is advice, and the College says that "using publicly available information to advise someone on an immigration matter" or "telling someone how best to answer a question on an immigration-related application form" is immigration advice that requires a licence when done for payment.

After the first call: the service agreement

If you go ahead, the consultant must sign a written service agreement before providing further services (Code s.24(1)). It sets out the itemised services, time frames, the fee estimate or fixed fee, disbursements, taxes, payment terms, advance payments and the refund policy. Advance payments go into a trust account and can only be withdrawn after you are invoiced for work actually done (Code s.32 and s.33). Our page on immigration consultant fees covers this in detail.

On Migratio

Consultation prices on Migratio are shown as the full amount you pay, before you book. We do not describe a consultation as having no cost unless the adviser has said, in their consultation agreement, that it is pro bono. Migratio does not give immigration advice itself.

Finding a regulated adviser

Migratio is a directory and booking platform, not an immigration consultant or law firm, and it does not give immigration advice. Advisers listed in our Canadian directory are licensed immigration consultants and lawyers who have signed up with us themselves. Each listing shows the adviser's registered name and licence number, with a link to the official register so you can check it yourself before you book.

Whoever you choose, from our directory or anywhere else, check them on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Public Register (register.college-ic.ca) or on their provincial law society's directory first, and ask for the written consultation agreement before the consultation starts.

Questions people ask

Do immigration consultants in Canada offer free consultations?

Some offer a first call at no charge; others charge a consultation fee. Either way, the Code requires a written consultation agreement before the consultation that states the fee, or says it is pro bono, and describes its scope.

What should a free immigration consultation include?

Whatever the written consultation agreement says. The Code requires it to describe the purpose and scope of the consultation, so read that section; it will also say the consultation is pro bono if it costs nothing, and the paid advice consultation has its own fee in writing.

Is a 'free consultation' with an immigration lawyer the same thing?

Lawyers are regulated by their provincial law society, not the College, so the consultant Code's s.23 does not apply to them. In Ontario, a lawyer advertising a fee must be precise about what each fee covers and stick to it (LSO rule 4.2-2).

Why does IRCC warn about free immigration services?

IRCC's representatives page lists, among fraud warning signs, representatives who advertise free services and later ask for a fee. It recommends checking that any paid representative is authorized.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Immigration consultant fees in Canada: what you pay for and how it must be billed — There is no official fee scale: the College says "RCICs set their own fees," and they must be "fair and reasonable." What the rules do fix is the paperwork. The fee for a first consultation must be in a written agreement before it starts, the full job needs a written service agreement with a fee estimate, and money paid in advance must sit in a trust account until the work is done.
  • How to check an RCIC licence on the College's Public Register — Search the consultant on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Public Register (register.college-ic.ca). Only people with an "Active" status and "Yes" in the "Entitled to Practise" column may legally give you immigration advice for a fee. Then contact them using the details on the register, not the ones in an ad or a message.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Consultants: How to Check Before You Pay — Only RCICs and RISIAs licensed by the College, lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a law society, and Quebec notaries may charge for Canadian immigration advice. IRCC says it won't deal with unauthorized paid representatives and may return or refuse an application that uses one.
  • Do I need an immigration consultant to apply to Canada? — No. IRCC's own answer is "No. The Government of Canada treats everyone equally, whether they use a representative or not." If you do pay someone for advice, the law says they must be a licensed consultant, a lawyer or paralegal, or a Quebec notary.