How to Verify an Immigration Consultant in Dubai (2026)

Frequently asked questions

Where do I verify a Canadian immigration consultant?

The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) public register at college-ic.ca. Search by the consultant's full legal name. CICC replaced ICCRC in November 2021, so anyone still using ICCRC branding in 2026 is using a deprecated name.

Where do I verify an Australian migration agent?

The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority register at mara.gov.au. Search by the agent's full legal name and confirm active MARN status with no current suspension.

Where do I verify a UK immigration adviser?

The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) replaced the OISC in January 2025. Search at gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser. Solicitors regulated by the SRA, barristers regulated by the BSB, and chartered legal executives regulated by CILEx Regulation are also authorised.

Why isn't a licence number on the firm's website enough?

Three reasons. First, licences attach to individuals, not firms, and a firm can publish a number that belonged to a former employee. Second, published numbers are routinely harvested and reused by scam websites cloning consultancy brands. Third, the only way to confirm the licence is active today is the regulator's own register; the firm's website is a marketing artefact, not a verification source.

What if the consultant claims an ICCRC licence in 2026?

ICCRC ceased to exist on 23 November 2021. The successor is CICC. A 2026 mention of ICCRC is either outdated marketing or an attempt to confuse. Either way, it tells you to verify carefully. Check the person on the current CICC register at college-ic.ca before engaging.

Should I trust an immigration consultant that asks for advance payment?

Not before an engagement letter. The MARA Code of Conduct, the CICC Code, and IAA standards all require a written agreement before fees are charged. A request for cash payment, bank transfer, or crypto before any written engagement is a strong red flag.

What if the consultant guarantees a visa?

No regulated practitioner (CICC, MARA, IAA, a US state bar or otherwise) can lawfully guarantee a visa outcome. Final decisions rest with the host country's immigration authority (IRCC for Canada, Department of Home Affairs for Australia, UKVI for the UK, USCIS for the US). Anyone promising a guaranteed outcome is breaching their regulator's Code of Conduct.

What documents should the consultant provide before I pay?

A written engagement letter specifying (a) the regulator and registration details, (b) the scope of work, (c) the total fee and what's included, (d) the refund policy, (e) the timeline, and (f) a complaint pathway to the regulator. Anything less is not professional standard.

What protections do I have under UAE law if a consultant misleads me?

UAE Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection allows complaints about misleading service providers via the Ministry of Economy. The UAE data protection law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) also restricts how your personal data can be used. For destination-country immigration matters, the host-country regulator (CICC, MARA, IAA or a US state bar) is the primary recourse.

What if the verification search returns nothing?

Stop the engagement before any further payment. Screenshot the regulator-register result and the date. Ask the firm in writing to reconcile within 48 hours. If they cannot, contact the regulator directly via the complaint pathway on the same site as the register. For Cosmos engagements, email customerservice@cosmosimmigration.com and we respond the same business day.

Are UAE-licensed consultants regulated for immigration advice?

A UAE trade licence (DED, DMCC, etc.) authorises a firm to operate from the UAE. It does not authorise the firm to give regulated immigration advice for Canada, Australia, the UK or the US. Those countries each have their own regulator. The UAE trade licence is necessary; it isn't sufficient.

What's a fair fee for immigration consultancy from Dubai?

Fees vary by destination, programme, and case complexity. The MARA Code, CICC Code, and IAA standards all require fees to be disclosed in writing before any work begins. There is no fixed cap, but unusually low fees (well under market) can signal corners cut on regulator-registered work; unusually high fees should come with a clear breakdown. Cosmos publishes fee bands at the free 20-minute review.

Can I file an immigration application without using a consultant?

Yes. IRCC, Home Affairs, UKVI, and USCIS all allow self-representation. A regulated consultant adds value by interpreting eligibility, packaging documentation, and handling regulator interactions, but it's not legally required. If a consultant tries to make you think it's required, that's a misrepresentation.

What does Cosmos do differently on verification?

We name the registered practitioner before any engagement letter, link you directly to the regulator registers at /verify-credentials, and operate a clear-answer policy: we decline to take fees when a profile isn't ready. We're rated 4.8 from 2,500+ Google reviews.

What if I've already paid and want to verify retroactively?

Search the named practitioner on the regulator register today. If the verification fails, request a written explanation from the firm within 48 hours. If unresolved, file a complaint with the regulator (links above) and consider a UAE Consumer Protection complaint through the Ministry of Economy. Document everything: emails, screenshots, dates, names.

How do I check Cosmos Immigration's registered consultants?

Search the names on the public registers. Canadian files are handled by a named CICC-registered consultant (Kamaljit Singh Mundi, RCIC R531489), searchable at register.college-ic.ca. Australian files are handled by a named MARA-registered agent (Andrew John Kerr, MARN 1069227), searchable at portal.mara.gov.au. The same names appear on your engagement letter.