About Us

Our Firm

Immigration Counsels of Canada (ICC) is the immigration law consultancy located in Abbotsford, BC. Being full members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), the present regulatory body of immigration practitioners, our counsels are fully authorized to represent clients in immigration and citizenship matters before the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Service Canada (HRSDC).

 

The ICC is a private, non-government or charitable organization. We act as clients’ representatives in immigration and citizenship applications and proceedings with the above government bodies. Having achieved the highest recognized educational and professional standards in the field, our counsels protect the public by providing affordable service and quality representation to clients, organizations and interested groups.

 

The company is led by a Senior Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), Mila (Lyudmila) Aberten. Mila has a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching and holds an honours diploma in foreign languages. Mila graduated from the University of British Columbia where she studied Immigration Laws, Policies and Procedures and she has been practicing immigration law since 2009. In addition to her practice, Mila has been sharing her knowledge and expertise by teaching Canadian Immigration Law at the University of British Columbia and Queen’s University. She previously volunteered with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council as a member of the Discipline Committee. Being a lead consultant at the firm, Mila represents clients in temporary residence (visitors, international students and foreign workers) and permanent residence (economic, family and H&C class) applications.

 

Our staff works in close cooperation with lawyers, translators and educational advisors to provide a full scope of services to our valued clients while assisting in their immigration journey.

Assistance We Provide

Full Representation

Complete preparation of immigration application package, follow-up, and liaison with immigration authorities, interview preparation.

Canadian immigration laws and regulations are complex. For an ordinary applicant, the amount of immigration information may be overwhelming, immigration rules and procedures may seem complicated and professional assistance or sound advice is often required. Our team believes that every applicant deserves good representation by a trained, ethical and experienced professional. Keeping best interests of clients as a key point of our work, we strive to counsel applicants about the fastest, most cost-effective ways of coming to Canada, be it on a temporary basis as visitors, students, workers or permanent basis as immigrants. Services we provide:

Consultation

We meet with a client for an initial consultation during which we assess the client’s background, qualifications, personal circumstances and evaluate their options or respond to their specific immigration-related query.

Retainer

If a client decides to retain us for their immigration case as the authorized representatives, a retainer agreement will be signed between them and the ICC which specifies the scope of services, payment plan, duties and responsibilities of both parties. 

Case Preparation

At this stage, we provide a client with a complete list of documents required for their application, our company staff fills out immigration forms and a client is given medical examination and police clearance instructions.

Submissions

Once the application package is checked for completeness, our counsel will prepare a submission letter to immigration authorities, presenting a client’s case with reference to the applicable immigration law sections and, in certain cases, on the basis of immigration case law. The application package is then submitted to the immigration office on the client’s behalf.

Follow-Up

After submission, we communicate with a visa office regarding the status of the application, responding to the officer’s requests for information or documentation and, if required, obtain copies of the immigration officer’s notes in order to get a clear picture of the file processing.

Interview Preparation

Should an interview with the immigration officer be required, we prepare a client for the interview by going through the possible questions and making them confident for the upcoming proceedings during this personal coaching.

Applications Review

Proofreading of applications, review of forms and supporting documents, correction of errors in self-prepared applications or profiles.

It is a personal choice whether to obtain legal representation, consult with a lawyer or hire an authorized consultant, but there are some general factors to consider: capacity to fill out the numerous government forms and prepare documentation, the complexity of a case, availability of time and resources. In our practice, we often meet with clients who may be comfortable dealing with official documentation, adept in completing forms, detail-oriented individuals with certain legal research skills, who are capable to prepare the immigration application on their own but, for extra security, wish to have a trained professional check everything over before the application is sent to ensure that the process was followed correctly.

As an alternative to full immigration representation (which includes: evaluation of options, assistance with preparation of documents, completion of forms, filing the application, monitoring the status, responding to officer’s requests, communication with a processing office, submission of additional documents, interview preparation), ICC offers proofreading services and detailed review of application packages which include:

• ensuring that the right and up-to-date immigration forms are used, eliminating the possibility for the application to be returned to the applicant
• review of forms and supporting documents
• providing suggestions what supporting documents should be submitted with the application
• checking the application or online profile for errors and omissions that might lead to the application being delayed or refused
• giving advice on necessary corrections to strengthen the application.

Clients with the application currently in process may benefit from the following services:

• obtaining complete notes of the processing officer to find out the status of the application or the reason for the processing delay
• correction of information on file
• updating the application to reflect changes in personal circumstances
• adding a family member
• responding to the officer’s requests
• responding to the Procedural Fairness Notices
• interview preparation

Whether you need immigration advice, want to discuss your options, require a review of your self-prepared application or are looking for assistance with your present application, ICC can guide you through the process. We pride ourselves on being approachable, responsive, and accountable to our clients.