Ghost Consultant

The Canadian law specifies who can provide you legal advice on immigration matters for a fee. Only authorized representatives can charge you a fee for legal advice and/or services. They are:

Lawyers from the Law Society of a Canadian province or territory
Paralegals from Ontario (they are also member of the Law Society of Ontario)
Notaries from the province of Quebec
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants with the CICC

Anyone who is not from the above list cannot charge you fee for any immigration advise or services, and are often referred to as "Ghost Consultants." Those who do are conducting illegal and perhaps incompetent practice. While it may seem convenient to have a travel agent or someone from your home town because they speak your language, you feel like you could go after them if they do not perform their job, or because it is easier for you to make payment, the damage could be serious.

Ghost consultants are not regulated by any Canadian regulatory body. As such, whatever they do (e.g., withholding approval letter, passport request letter, GCKey login credentials, documents or anything) or not do (e.g., taking payment but did not submit application), the Canadian authorities have no jurisdiction to punish them. You, as the applicant, will suffer all the lost incurred.