Immigration Consultant Fees in Canada (2026): Three Groups May Charge You. Everyone Else Is Breaking the Law.
The register that tells you which is free, public, and takes about a minute.
In short
Fees typically run $3,000 to $8,000. Full Express Entry representation is commonly $2,500 to $5,000, a study or work permit $1,000 to $3,500, spousal sponsorship $2,000 to $4,000 — all before government fees. An initial consultation is usually $50 to $250.
There is no official fee schedule. The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants has not set one; its rule is only that fees be fair and reasonable. So comparison is entirely your job.
But the money is the second question. The first is whether the person may legally charge you at all. Only three groups can: lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a Canadian law society, notaries with the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and consultants in good standing with the College. Anyone else taking a fee to represent you is acting unlawfully — and you can check, free, in about a minute.
Typical fees
Professional fees only. Government processing fees are separate and are paid to the government, not to your representative.
| Service | Typical professional fee |
|---|---|
| Initial consultation | $50–$250 |
| Study or work permit | $1,000–$3,500 |
| Express Entry, full representation | $2,500–$5,000 |
| Spousal sponsorship | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Overall range across services | $3,000–$8,000 |
Who is allowed to charge you?
Three groups. The list is short and it is worth memorising.
That is the whole list. A travel agency, a recruitment agency, a “visa expert”, a friend of a friend who knows the system, an overseas office with a Canadian-sounding name — none of them may charge a fee to represent you, whatever they call the payment.
Unpaid help is different. A family member or a friend may assist you without charge, and they must still be declared on the application as your representative.
How to check a consultant in one minute
The College keeps a free public register. This is the same habit as checking a trade licence or a real estate agent — a public database exists precisely so you do not have to take anyone’s word.
If someone will not give you a number, that is the answer to the question you were asking.
What belongs in the agreement
Get it in writing before any money moves. Six items:
Pay to the business, not to a personal account, and keep every receipt.
Red flags
Any single one of these is a reason to stop, not to negotiate.
Do you need one at all?
No. Every application can be filed by the applicant, and the forms, guides and instructions are published free by the government.
What a representative buys is time, familiarity with the forms, and someone accountable to answer questions. For a complicated history, a refusal to address, or simply a person with no time and no appetite for it, that can be worth several thousand dollars. For a straightforward file and a patient reader, it can be worth nothing at all.
What it does not buy, at any price, is priority, influence or a different outcome on the same facts.
There is also a middle path people forget: paying for a single consultation to check your own plan, at $50 to $250, rather than full representation at several thousand.
What to do next
Before you pay anyone: ask for the licence number, search the College’s public register, and confirm the status reads active and in good standing. It is free and it takes about a minute, and it is the single most valuable minute in this entire process.
Then get the retainer in writing, with the six items above in it.
Compare professional services in Ontario on Ontario24 and contact firms directly. Ontario24 is a classified directory — we help you find and compare, and we do not vet, certify, endorse or verify anyone, which is exactly why this guide points you at the public register instead. Documents to prepare? the translation guide and the credential evaluation guide cover the two services people most often buy twice.
Before you call anyone, it helps to know what this job should cost and what the next one will. What things cost in Ontario in 2026 puts 75 service prices in one table.
Frequently asked questions
Typically $3,000 to $8,000 depending on the application. Full Express Entry representation commonly runs $2,500 to $5,000, a study or work permit $1,000 to $3,500, and spousal sponsorship $2,000 to $4,000 — all before government fees. Initial consultations run about $50 to $250.
No. The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants has not set or approved a standard fee table. Its rules require that fees be fair and reasonable, which is a professional standard rather than a price list — so comparing written quotes is on you.
Only three groups: lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, notaries in good standing with the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and immigration consultants in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Anyone else charging a fee to represent you is acting unlawfully.
Search the College’s free public register by name or by licence number — an R followed by six digits. Confirm the status reads active and in good standing, and check for any disciplinary history. A name appearing in the system is not enough: a licence can be suspended or revoked while the historical record remains.
No. Every application can be filed by the applicant, and the forms and guides are published free. A representative buys time, familiarity and someone to answer questions — which is worth a great deal to some people and nothing to others. It does not buy priority or influence.
The exact services covered, the total professional fee, which government fees are extra and who pays them, the refund terms, what happens if the application is refused, and whether an appeal or a further submission is included. Get all of it in writing before any money moves.
A guarantee of approval, a promise of faster processing or connections inside the government, a request to sign blank forms, an instruction to give false information, no licence number offered, payment demanded to a personal account, and no written retainer. Any one of these is a reason to stop.
Sources
Fee ranges come from published 2026 pricing pages and guides of Canadian immigration consultancies and law firms, checked 17 September 2026 — published by businesses that sell the service, so treat them as market pricing and get a written retainer. The three categories of authorised paid representative are set out by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The public register of licensed consultants, and the requirement that fees be fair and reasonable, are maintained by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants; the College has not published a standard fee schedule. This guide is consumer information about the cost of a service and how to verify a provider. It is not immigration advice, and nothing here should be relied on for an application. For advice on your own situation, consult an authorised representative you have verified on the register, or the government directly. Ontario24 is a classified directory: we do not vet, endorse or verify anyone, and we do not provide immigration services.