Reference material — Hamayun Immigration Firm

§ 01Primary sources Verify every figure here before relying on it

Where the authoritative answer lives

Program criteria, fees, and processing times change without notice and are frequently reported inaccurately by third parties. These are the sources that govern.

Official sources
Source	Use it for
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada	Program criteria, application kits, current fees, and published processing times
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act	The governing statute, including the protection definitions and appeal rights
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations	Class definitions, sponsorship requirements, permits, and procedural detail
Citizenship Act	Grant requirements, presence rules, and prohibitions
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada	Division rules, practice notices, and National Documentation Packages by country
College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants	Licensing standards, the code of conduct, and the complaints process
CICC public register	Confirming that a representative is licensed and in good standing
Federal Court of Canada	Judicial review procedure and filing requirements

§ 02Protection IRPA s. 91 · unauthorised practice is an offence

Six checks before you pay anyone

Immigration fraud targets people who have the least room to absorb a loss. Every one of these checks is free and takes minutes.

Confirm the licence yourself. Search the CICC public register by name or licence number, or the relevant law society. Do not accept a screenshot or a certificate on a wall as proof.
Insist on a written retainer agreement. It must name the representative, state the scope, and separate professional fees from government fees. Refusing to provide one is disqualifying.
Never pay government fees in cash to a representative. Government fees are paid to the Government of Canada and are receipted by the department.
Reject any guarantee of approval. No representative controls the outcome. A guarantee is a marketing claim that cannot be honoured, and often signals an intention to misrepresent.
Refuse to sign blank or incomplete forms, and refuse to sign an application as self-prepared when someone else prepared it. That is what a ghost consultant will ask you to do, and it exposes you rather than them.
Keep your own copies of everything filed, including the forms as submitted and the receipt. You are entitled to them.

If you have already been defrauded, you are not the first and the situation is usually recoverable. Bring whatever you have, including the payment record and any messages, and do not delay because of embarrassment. The immigration consequences of a misrepresented application are handled better early.

§ 03Documents Translation and certification

Preparing documents that will be accepted

Translations. A document not in English or French generally needs a complete translation together with the original or a certified copy. Where the translator is not certified, an affidavit from the translator is usually required. Partial or summary translations are refused.
Certified copies. A certified copy is stamped, dated, signed, and endorsed by an authorised person confirming it is a true copy of the original. A photocopy alone is not a certified copy.
Legibility. Scan at a readable resolution, in full colour where the original is coloured, with nothing cropped. An unreadable document counts as a missing document.
Consistency of names and dates. Where a name or date of birth differs across documents, explain it in the application with supporting evidence rather than hoping it is not noticed.
Dates on everything. An undated letter of support carries very little weight. Ask supporters to date and sign, and to state how they know you and for how long.

§ 04Glossary Working definitions, not legal definitions

Terms you will meet

Common terms and abbreviations
Term	Meaning in practice
IRCC	Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The department that decides most applications.
CBSA	Canada Border Services Agency. Handles entry, examination, enforcement, and removal.
IRB	Immigration and Refugee Board. An independent tribunal with four divisions, including the Refugee Protection Division and the Immigration Appeal Division.
RPD / RAD	Refugee Protection Division, which hears claims, and Refugee Appeal Division, which hears appeals from its decisions.
IAD	Immigration Appeal Division. Hears sponsorship refusals, residency obligation appeals, and certain removal order appeals.
BOC	Basis of Claim. The narrative form at the centre of an in-Canada refugee claim.
H&C	Humanitarian and compassionate. Discretionary relief under section 25(1) of the Act.
PRRA	Pre-removal risk assessment. A risk assessment available in limited circumstances before removal.
PFL	Procedural fairness letter. Notice of an officer's concern, with an opportunity to respond before a decision.
LMIA	Labour market impact assessment. An employer-side assessment required for many work permits.
CRS	Comprehensive Ranking System. The points score used to rank Express Entry candidates.
NOC	National Occupational Classification. The system used to categorise occupations for immigration purposes.
NDP	National Documentation Package. The Board's country condition research, organised by country.
RCIC	Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant. A representative licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

NEXT STEPPreliminary consultations are complimentary and held in confidence.

Reference material only goes so far.

Published criteria describe the general rule. Whether it applies to you depends on facts that are not on any website. That is what a consultation is for.

Request a free consultation → How we work

647-546-0134 · admin@hf-imm.ca