I dont get it........hire a lawyer or Immigration Consultant

[gsize]

the $3000.00 that you have to pay is well worth it. (some will charge less depending what you wish them to do) I long ago learned better to pay a little rather than deal with a horrible beauracacy that only has become worse due to cut backs !

IF, you have the money.......do it ! and if you dont ....borrow it ! No, Im not a lawyer nor Imm consultant ! :-*

 

[computergeek]

I've had good and bad experiences with attorneys. I used an attorney for my FSW application (and a different attorney when I switched to someone experienced in medical inadmissibility and then more when I filed an application for leave and judicial review).

In the end the applicant must complete much of the application - an attorney cannot fill out the forms for you. An attorney CAN help you make sure your application is completed properly and assist with complications that may arise during the processing of your applications including inadmissibility issues.

I wouldn't go to court without an attorney familiar with federal practice.

 

[figtoria]

I feel I wasted my $3000 on the lawyer. He told us many things which were just wrong. He made our actually straightforward case sound scary and as though we needed professional help. We approached him with virtually all our documents ready in late February and he was so slow getting back to us that it was July before we finally filed it. AND he recommended that we not send the OWP with the app.

For a straight-forward case, this forum and some careful reading are all you need, in my opinion.

 

[goodman36]

I feel I wasted my $3000 on the lawyer. He told us many things which were just wrong. He made our actually straightforward case sound scary and as though we needed professional help. We approached him with virtually all our documents ready in late February and he was so slow getting back to us that it was July before we finally filed it. AND he recommended that we not send the OWP with the app.

For a straight-forward case, this forum and some careful reading are all you need, in my opinion.

I agree, it is not worth it.

Unless, someone needs to appeal or have a hearing, a lawyer is not necessary. I found that this is an application and a lawyer spends less time then we do learning the ins and outs of the application.

 

[gsize]

I have heard many people say, not necessary, I have also heard many people say that "if I had only hired a Imm Cons/lawyer"


I can tell you....a lot of information that I received is not known to the general public. It Is well known, in Immigration circles. 8)

 

[truesmile]

Totally agreed (with the overall consensus here), "save your money". Straight forward case, and you know how to read English... fill out the forms yourself, which as stated previously you have to do anyway, not to mention all the running around - yes, you still have to do it. It's not like it's a court of law and they actually "warning" you against doing it yourself. And after all, it's just an 'application form'.

 

[gsize]

couldnt disagree with you more.

If you dont mind the possibility of fighting with CIC for YEARS, then take the chance and do it yourself.

Like any other profession, there are good and bad lawyers/Imm cons. You have to have a comfort level with them.

I couldnt imagine navigating through this nightmare on my own.

 

[millslu]

trust me it depends on what you want it for, has nothing to do with money. lawyer are for serious cases. councellors are for easier stuff the less complicated stuff. if you have a serious issues then get a lawyer if you want to do a simple application get a councellor or do it yourself.

 

[Rob_TO]

In the vast majority of cases a lawyer/consultant is a waste of money. There are probably less than 20% of all cases that would really benefit from a lawyer. Most of the application is common sense and for straight forward situations with not many red flags, and following advice you can get for free from this forum... an application can be done on your own. I can't see any info or special advice a lawyer could provide on how to do an application, that can't be found also on this forum.

In many cases that are rejected, even having a lawyer wouldn't have changed the outcome lots of the time. The VO doesn't care if a lawyer was used or not. I'm not sure if lawyers keep stats on their approved/rejected rate, but i imagine most of them are pretty close to the overall CIC average.

The problem with using lawyers/consultants also, is that there are so many bad ones out there that actually end up giving wrong info, not getting back to the applicants asap, and delaying the time it takes for the overall process.

 

[Fencesitter]

I'd say that if you have a degree, definitely do it yourself. Even without a degree, as long as you are somewhat intelligent, do it yourself. There is no need for a lawyer unless your case is complicated.

People who use a lawyer for a straightforward case are throwing away their money.

FS

 

[zenn]

I completely agree! If it is a straightforward case don't waste your money... You end up filling the forms yourself anyway and they are really terribly slow... Do it your self unless your case is terribly complicated...

 

[pardesifr]

I will agree what is said, if you can read English and have minimum of intelligence like you know how to breath and eat lolz joking, you can do it by yourself, in fact even if you take lawyer or consultant it is not him who will fill or collect your document and that is the most tough part and it is you that have to do it in both cases.

Lawyer can only be advisable if your case is too complicated and need some legal advise otherwise it is waste of money and you will find all information on internet and in particularly in this Forum. Beside it is clearly indicated on the CIC website that having intermediary doesn't give you any advantage or special treatment, everything is provided with guide to do it by yourself.

 

[gsize]

filing out forms is one thing. Getting the dirt from CIC is another.

Lots of politics ata CIC and the general public will never know.

The Immigration consultants have shared very interesting information that helped me figure why we were denied. NO, Im not a conspiracy theorist

Dont be so naive guys !

 

[computergeek]

Lawyer can only be advisable if your case is too complicated and need some legal advise otherwise it is waste of money and you will find all confirmation on internet and in particularly in this Forum. Beside it is clearly indicated on the CIC website that having intermediary doesn't give you any advantage or special treatment, everything is provided with guide to do it by yourself.

Complications that clearly suggest you need an attorney:

• Any issue of criminality (sponsor or applicant) - it just gets way too complicated, way too fast.
• A prior refused application
• If you are not fluent in French or English
• If you are applying outland through a visa office with a high refusal rate

Many of the people who are saying "don't hire one" did not fall into these categories. I'll admit, I fell into one of the categories (prior refusal) but I also had a very clear understanding of the issues involved, knowledge that the grounds for refusal (skilled worker) were not applicable for the second application (spousal sponsored) and I'd spent an inordinate amount of time reading and re-reading the CIC manuals, legal opinions, etc.

My attorney offered to represent me in the second application for a discounted fee of $3k. By that time the spousal application was done and I was convinced it was complete, comprehensive and persuasive. I'd gone over all the checklists, every single page, etc. I'd reviewed the CIC forms and updated to the latest forms (several changed in the two months I spent assembling the application). The relationship evidence wasn't overwhelming, but it strongly supported the story. I'm sure the fact that I started seeing my spouse before my first application was even submitted made a difference. So I took a chance and submitted it without representation.

The other difference is that I never let the first application drop - we were in court. We'd been granted a hearing (the "application for leave" part had been granted). Justice Canada's strongest argument related to the sponsored spousal application - and I'll forever be convinced that the $4k I spent to pursue the application for leave and judicial review was the better way of spending that money. While having an attorney won't speed things along inside CIC, it's clear that having an active lawsuit against them - where it really looked like they'd lose - does speed things along. Most people are not in that position, though.

There are times for attorneys. Any time a case gets complicated it's time to hire an advocate - get called for an interview, get a letter challenging your membership in the family class, etc. You have the option of hiring representation at any point in the application process. It's not an irrevocable decision.

 

[gsize]

as usual, well said