1. You don't have to pay anyone to apply
You can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) yourself. If you do hire someone, IRCC says using a representative
"will not draw special attention to your application or guarantee" that it will be approved. Be very careful with anyone who promises
a guaranteed visa, permit or PR.
Source: IRCC, "Choose a representative"
2. If you pay, they must be licensed
Anyone you pay, in money or in any other way, to represent you or give immigration advice must be authorized. Check before you pay:
- Immigration consultants
- Must be licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Search the College's register
- Lawyers and Ontario paralegals
- Must be members of a law society, which in Ontario is the Law Society of Ontario. Search the Law Society's directory
- Quebec notaries
- Must be members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
If they aren't a member in good standing, IRCC says not to use them.
Source: IRCC, "Find out if your representative is authorized"
3. Free and low-cost legal help
- Legal Aid Ontario
-
May pay for a lawyer for refugee claimants and immigrants who qualify financially. It also covers family and criminal law. Call
1-800-668-8258, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, or use its online service finder.
(legalaid.on.ca)
- Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic
-
Free legal help for low-income residents of the Thunder Bay district, focused on income benefits and housing, including tenants' rights.
It doesn't take criminal or family cases. 86 South Cumberland Street, (807) 344-2478. Walk-in intake
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (kalc.ca)
- Law Society Referral Service
-
Puts you in touch with a lawyer or paralegal for a free consultation of up to 30 minutes, to understand your options.
Work after that may cost money, so ask about fees first. Start at
lso.ca.
Newcomer Legal Clinic
A student clinic at Lakehead University's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. An immigration lawyer supervises the law students.
What: free legal advice, referrals and, in some cases, representation on immigration, refugee and citizenship problems, to people in Northwestern Ontario.
Who: immigrants, refugees and people without status, people hoping to sponsor family, and private refugee sponsorship groups. Thunder Bay, Kenora and Rainy River are in its area. Meetings can be by phone or video if you live outside Thunder Bay.
How to ask: through the screening form, or call if you cannot fill it in. A request does not make you a client, and it does not guarantee a meeting with the lawyer.
- They look for someone living in Northwestern Ontario, with low income or another barrier to legal help, and an immigration-law issue.
- To check income they ask for three months of bank statements and a Notice of Assessment.
- There is a waitlist, and a reply can take up to two weeks.
- Intake calls are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. There are no walk-in appointments.
- The clinic says its services are limited during a staff transition.
Watch: send confidential details only after they accept you as a client.
Suite 3005A, Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, 12 Cumberland St. N., Thunder Bay, ON P7A 4K9 · newcomerlegal.admin@lakeheadu.ca
Lakehead University Community Legal Services
Law students, supervised by lawyers, give free help to low-income residents of Thunder Bay and nearby communities. This clinic is separate from the Newcomer Legal Clinic above.
- Tenant cases at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
- Employment Standards Act wage claims.
- Small Claims Court, and civil disputes under $50,000.
- Minor criminal offences and serious provincial offences.
How: call for a screening appointment. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Suite PA1001, 401 Red River Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 1B4 · legalservices.law@lakeheadu.ca
AFNOO, for French-speaking newcomers
The Association des francophones du Nord-Ouest de l'Ontario (AFNOO) helps francophone newcomers settle in Northwestern Ontario and look for work. It is settlement and employment support, not a law office.
Settlement: starts with a meeting and a personal settlement plan, then referrals to French-language services, including French and English classes offered by its partners.
Employment: for francophones and bilingual people, including newcomers, international students and temporary workers. It covers a Canadian-style resume, interview practice, and labour-market information for the region.
Watch: the service pages are in French.
234 Van Norman Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 4B8 · etablissement@afnoo.org · emploi@afnoo.org
Sources: Legal Aid Ontario, "Services" and its immigration page; Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic; Lakehead University Community Legal Services; Law Society of Ontario, "Law Society Referral Service"; Newcomer Legal Clinic, home page, "About", "Services" and "Request an appointment"; AFNOO, "Immigration", settlement and employment support
4. Spot and report immigration scams
- Check every paid representative on the registers above. A real one won't mind.
- Be wary of guarantees. No one can promise IRCC will approve you.
- Never pay for a job offer. Under the Thunder Bay RCIP, the CEDC treats asking for payment for a job offer as a dishonest practice.
- Never submit false documents or false information. IRCC says this has serious consequences, even if someone else filled in the form for you.
- Students: check that the school is on IRCC's list of designated learning institutions before paying anything.
- Immigration fraud
- Report it to the Canada Border Services Agency's Border Watch Line.
- Phone, email or online scams
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Gave away personal or bank details?
- Contact Thunder Bay Police (non-emergency 807-684-1200) or the RCMP. See what to do if you already paid.
- In danger
- Call 911.
Source: IRCC, "Protect yourself from fraud" and "How to report fraud"
5. Other rights we've covered
Quick answers
Do I need to pay someone to apply to IRCC?
No. You can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada yourself. IRCC says using a representative will not draw special attention to your application or guarantee approval. Be very careful with anyone who promises a guaranteed visa, permit or PR.
How do I check an immigration consultant is licensed?
Search the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants' register. Lawyers and Ontario paralegals must be members of the Law Society of Ontario, which has its own directory. If they aren't a member in good standing, IRCC says not to use them.
Where can I get free legal help in Thunder Bay?
Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic gives free help to low-income residents of the Thunder Bay district, focused on income benefits and housing, at 86 South Cumberland Street, (807) 344-2478. Legal Aid Ontario may pay for a lawyer for immigrants and refugee claimants who qualify financially.
Does Thunder Bay have a free immigration law clinic?
Yes. The Newcomer Legal Clinic at Lakehead University's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law gives free immigration, refugee and citizenship advice, referrals and sometimes representation to eligible people in Northwestern Ontario. Call 807-346-7800 or use the screening form. A request does not guarantee a meeting, there are no walk-ins, and services are limited during a staff transition. The office is Suite 3005A, 12 Cumberland St. N.
Where can French-speaking newcomers get settlement help?
AFNOO, the Association des francophones du Nord-Ouest de l'Ontario, helps francophone newcomers settle and look for work. That includes a settlement plan, referrals to French-language services, a Canadian-style resume and interview practice. It is at 234 Van Norman Street, 807-500-1885. It is not a law office.
Does Lakehead have a free clinic for tenant and wage cases?
Yes. Lakehead University Community Legal Services, Suite PA1001, 401 Red River Road, is separate from the Newcomer Legal Clinic. Supervised law students help low-income residents with Landlord and Tenant Board cases, Employment Standards Act wage claims, Small Claims Court under $50,000, minor criminal offences and serious provincial offences. Call 807-346-7815 or toll-free 1-833-503-7815 for a screening appointment.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Wakenyatbay doesn't recommend particular lawyers or consultants. For your own case,
speak to a licensed professional or one of the services above.
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