Alberta_Rose

On this subject Andrew, is there a foolproof way of finding out for sure that the lawyer or consultant you pick is going to be as good as they say they are? I realise that they have to register etc, and you can check that. And you can canvas other people for their experiences, good and bad, but in the end, is it not a bit of a lottery?

Many people cannot afford to pay a large sum and then lose it and/or pay it again when it all goes horribly wrong. Many can't "afford" the time either.

Here, please note, I am not arguing whether it is or is not necessary to hire assistance, but merely inquiring as to whether you have good suggestions to ensure you are consulting someone who truly a) knows what they are doing, and b) is really going to put 100 % effort into advising and/or representing you.

And don't just say "Pick me!!!" eh!

g_is_for_canada

Apologies for hijacking this question a bit, but I think you know the answer. Testimonials from people on sites like this are probably a good way because people will relate to their experience in dealing with the consultant or lawyer, not just base it on whether they were successful or not.

I would recommend the lawyer I used, but I'll also tell you about what you should watch out for if you use their service. They were significantly cheaper than most, and gave a lot of free advice without obligation. This proved to be a good thing overall

Alberta_Rose

Testimonals are dodgy too though ..... For every "good" one you'll often get a "bad" one, depending on people's experience. I have been a member on this site for long enough to appreciate that!

I'm not asking for myself btw,... we landed in 2005,... it was just a devil's advocate sort of enquiry for Andrew's thoughts on the matter.

Andrew Miller

Nothing is foolproof and there is always a risk, just as it is always a risk that after immigrating to Canada you may find out that it is not what you imagined.

Asking in this forum or any other moderated forum (never give any credibility to unmoderated forums that are full of anonymous trolls) is a good start. Not bulletproof though - even I face sporadically unfounded accusations, usually from clients who didn't want to fulfill their financial obligations (in the past when I still offered installment options about 40% of clients tried to skip final installment) or who change mind about immigrating and want some money back or from trolls who never had any business with me (this is why I no longer contribute to any unmoderated forum).

Then initial communication with prospective representative(s), going through free evaluation, asking questions, etc. will give you a lot and then following what your guts may be telling you is in most cases good idea. You should only hire someone you feel comfortable with.

Never hire anyone who tells you that there is zero problems and paints all in rosy colors or promised too much. Better to use someone who paints realistic picture, regardless how bad such picture may look.

Don't (many here will disagree with me on it) use the cheapest service you can find. At the end you are getting only what you paid for, regardless some lucky ones who may state that they got good service for cheapest price. Even representatives who are complete idiots get some cases through from time to time without problems.

Don't try to save a thousand or two, it is not worth the risk and "saved" amount is nothing compared to the total cost of application process and moving expenses. Not mentioning loss of application fees in case of refusal and any monetary value of lost time and dreams (if one can put price on such loss) resulting from trying to "save" a thousand or so. And remember that fixing failed application will usually cost you more than the "more expensive" representative you could have hired to start with.

It is your life, your future, your dreams - don't try to "save" on it and jeopardize it by using substandard service for low price.

BTW - did you ever read in any of my posts "hire me" suggestion?

coriela

Hi, does anyone has an immigration lawyer in Leeds to recommend? I am looking at engaging one to help me with my work permit application.

Any help or advice will be much appreciated. Thank you.

JSHalifax

colin singer www.immigration.ca ... I know several people who have used him I can also give you the names of them if you want to p.m. me i can give you the details.
June

coriela

Hi,

thank you for the link. i am looking for an immigration lawyer to help me present my case to UK HOme office for a work permit. Will they be any good in this?

I do not know how to pm you.

JSHalifax

hover over my sign on name and you will see drop down menu,,,, private message click on that or email address..
June

DannyCane

We applied with the help of an immigration lawyer, but are still waiting to hear anything.
Our reason for using an immigration lawyer was that we felt slightly overwhelmed by it all. We had mega amounts of documanets to produce, police certificates from lots of countries, have documetns translated...
Anyway, we wanted to make sure that we had everything we needed, and didn't leave any information out.
It turns out that, had we done it all alone, we would have left things of the form, got some dates wrong...
We are not stupid, but it certainly gave us peace of mind. We just hope that it all works out.

coriela

hi june,

i cannot private message you as i have less than 3 post. maybe you can initiate a private message with me? thanks.

wee soj

Who did you use if you don't mind me asking as I am looking to hire the servises of a consultant or lawyer but in fairness having read some of the other threads i'm having second thoughts.

coriela

has anyone used visa bureau for Uk work permit?