Selecting an Immigration Consultant

Hiring the right kind of immigration consultant can help applicants but caution needs to be exercised when selecting an immigration consultant. Internet availability and the easy access to credit cards makes it now possible to consult with consultants worldwide. While there are many honest and professional immigration consultants and lawyers who specialize in immigration law. There are some that try and scam clients with promises and information that is not quite correct and often a method to extract money from clients. So how do you find a good immigration lawyer or consultant? by doing your homework and making appropriate inquires before parting with your money and paper work. At times you may not even need the services of a consultant, Most countries have information posted on their websites and it is usually free. If you need current immigration information for instance for Canada, then it is quite easy to consult a qualified Canadian consultant. Most consultants and lawyers accept credit card payments. As the saying goes, "Geography is now history" distances today do not matter. Here are some advertisements that were published in one of India's leading newspaper, The Times of India on May 4, 2007.  It is not the intention of this website to comment on any advertisement placed in newspapers. Readers need to do their own research before selecting a particular consultant. Whether some of these advertisements are misleading it is for the readers to decide for themselves.   Sample advertisements shown here are only for informational purposes.  READ THE FINE PRINT AND TRY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THESE ADVERTISEMENTS ARE OFFERING? CAN THEY REALLY DELIVER ON WHAT THEY ARE PROMISING IN THEIR AD'S?  While many advertisers offer good professional immigration consultancy services, there are always the odd ones that are only trying to make a fast buck. The Indian news media usually has many advertisements from immigration consultants. In my opinion, some of them seem too good to be true!   Before spending your money do check and confirm credentials of consultants. While I am not in a position to verify the claims of advertisers as I am not an immigration professional.   I found it rather strange that one of the advertisements in the Times of India May 4, 2007 issue, for Canada Migration mentions 'Passport & Citizenship in 2yrs'   I acquired Canadian citizenship in 1977 and at that time one had to wait five years. Subsequently this period was changed to three years.   Unless laws have changed and I am not aware of such changes. I think that even now three years residence is still a requirement for Canadian citizenship. To confirm this I visited the Canadian Citizenship Website and found that the time frame is still three years.  This article is to point out the need to exercise caution and use common sense when looking for immigration consultants. Be very careful to think things over before paying money out as deposits.   There are some good consultants out there who will genuinely help prospective immigrants but you need to find them with proper research.  Keep in mind with a little bit of research you can find a lot of information free from the consulates of the countries you wish to immigrate to.