RCIC and RCIC-IRB are two licence classes issued by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Both allow a consultant to represent you before Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Only the RCIC-IRB class allows representation before the Immigration and Refugee Board. This page explains the difference and shows you how to check any consultant on the public register in under a minute.
Book a consultation
Who is allowed to charge you a fee
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, only an authorised representative may give immigration advice or represent you for a fee. That means a member in good standing of a Canadian law society, a notary of the Chambre des notaires du Quebec, or a consultant licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Anyone else charging you for this work is doing so unlawfully, whatever they call themselves.
The College publishes every licensee on a public register. If a person or agency cannot be found there and is not a lawyer or Quebec notary, that is the end of the conversation.
The three College licence classes
RCIC
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant. May advise and represent clients before IRCC, the Canada Border Services Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada.
RCIC-IRB
Everything an RCIC may do, plus representation before the Immigration and Refugee Board. This is the class Shirani Jenita Daniel holds under licence R705794.
RISIA
Regulated International Student Immigration Adviser. Advises prospective and current students at a designated learning institution. Not a representative for applications.
What the IRB authorisation actually covers
The Immigration and Refugee Board is a tribunal, separate from IRCC. It has four divisions, and a hearing before any of them is an adversarial proceeding with evidence, testimony and a Member who decides the case.
An RCIC without the IRB endorsement cannot appear before those divisions for a fee. If your matter is a refugee claim, an appeal of a refused sponsorship, a removal order, or an admissibility hearing, the licence class is not a detail. It decides whether the person you hired can stand up in the room with you.
The four divisions of the Board
Refugee Protection Division
Hears and decides claims for refugee protection made inside Canada.
Refugee Appeal Division
Hears appeals of RPD decisions, mostly on the written record.
Immigration Appeal Division
Hears sponsorship refusals, removal order appeals and residency obligation appeals.
Immigration Division
Conducts admissibility hearings and detention reviews.
How to check a licence in under a minute
Open the College register at register.college-ic.ca and search the person by name or by licence number. The entry shows the licence class, whether the licence is in good standing, and any conditions or disciplinary history.
Three things to look at. First, that the name on the register is the person who will actually handle your file, not a colleague or a company name. Second, the class, because RCIC and RCIC-IRB are not interchangeable. Third, the status, because a licence can be suspended.
Shirani Jenita Daniel appears on the register under licence R705794 at the RCIC-IRB class. Check it before you engage anyone, including us.
Warning signs worth taking seriously
An agency that will not give you the licence number of the individual doing the work. A promise about the outcome of an application, which no representative can make. A request to sign blank forms, or to let someone else sign your application. Payment asked for in cash or to a personal account with no written retainer. A representative who is not named anywhere in your IRCC submission.
Representation is recorded. IRCC asks who is acting for you, and that person is accountable to the College for the work.
Based in Edmonton, working across Alberta
Imprint Immigration Services works with clients in Edmonton, across Alberta, and internationally. Consultations are held in person and by video, and every file is handled under licence R705794.
Working with an RCIC-IRB in Edmonton
Imprint Immigration Services is led by Shirani Jenita Daniel, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant authorised to represent clients before Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and before the Immigration and Refugee Board. Her CICC licence number is R705794 and it can be checked on the CICC public register.
A consultation is a paid appointment where your situation is reviewed and the options that may apply are explained to you. It is a review, not a prediction. No representative can tell you what an officer will decide.
Consultations are held in Edmonton and remotely. Call (825) 435-1101 or book a consultation.
Common questions about consultant licences
- What is the difference between an RCIC and an RCIC-IRB?
- Both are licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants and both may represent clients before Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The RCIC-IRB class additionally allows representation before the four divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board: the Refugee Protection Division, Refugee Appeal Division, Immigration Appeal Division and Immigration Division.
- How do I check if an immigration consultant is licensed?
- Search the person on the public register at register.college-ic.ca by name or licence number. The entry shows the licence class, whether it is in good standing, and any conditions. If someone cannot be found there and is not a lawyer or a Quebec notary, they may not charge a fee for immigration advice.
- Who is allowed to charge a fee for immigration advice in Canada?
- Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, only an authorised representative: a member in good standing of a Canadian law society, a notary of the Chambre des notaires du Quebec, or a consultant licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
- Do I need an RCIC-IRB for my case?
- It depends on where your matter will be decided. Applications to IRCC do not require the IRB endorsement. A refugee claim, an appeal of a refused sponsorship, a removal order appeal or an admissibility hearing is decided by the Immigration and Refugee Board, and only a representative authorised before the Board may appear there for a fee.
- What licence does Imprint hold?
- Shirani Jenita Daniel holds the RCIC-IRB class under CICC licence R705794. It can be verified on the public register.
- What should I do if someone promises me approval?
- Treat it as a reason to stop. No representative, licensed or otherwise, can promise an immigration outcome. Every application is decided by the relevant Canadian authority on its own merits, and a promise of approval is a sign that the person is not operating within the rules.
This article is general information and is not immigration advice. Advice about your own situation comes from a consultation with Shirani Jenita Daniel, RCIC-IRB, CICC Licence R705794. Representation begins only once a retainer is signed.