Education advisers
Education advisers help students navigate Canadian post-secondary admissions. Understanding how they are paid, what they can recommend, and what they are not permitted to do protects you from hidden conflicts of interest.
How advisers are paid
Student-paid (independent advisers)
The student pays a fee directly — hourly, package, or retainer. The adviser has no financial relationship with any institution and can recommend any school that fits the student's goals.
Institution-commissioned agents
The institution pays the agent a commission when a student they referred enrols. The student typically pays no direct fee. The agent can only earn from institutions they represent.
Mixed model
The adviser charges students for some services and also receives institutional commissions for enrolments. Both revenue sources must be disclosed.
Vianorr Education requires all listed providers to disclose their compensation model before a student contacts them.
Questions to ask before hiring
- →How are you paid — by me, by institutions, or both?
- →Which institutions do you currently represent and receive commissions from?
- →Are there schools you would not recommend to me? Why?
- →What specific services are included in your fee and what is excluded?
- →Can you show me your qualifications or professional memberships?
- →What happens if I am not satisfied — what is your refund policy?
- →Do you provide immigration advice? (They should not, unless separately qualified.)
Immigration advice is separate
Education advisers are not immigration advisers. Study permits, visas, PGWP eligibility, and immigration pathways require an authorized Canadian immigration representative — a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), an immigration lawyer, a qualifying paralegal, or a Québec notary.
Verify any RCIC through the CICC Public Register. An education adviser who offers immigration advice without being separately qualified as an authorized representative is acting illegally.
Red flags
- ✕Guarantees admission to a specific school or program
- ✕Guarantees a scholarship
- ✕Offers to write your personal statement for you
- ✕Recommends only institutions they represent without explaining why
- ✕Refuses to disclose which institutions they earn commissions from
- ✕Offers immigration advice without RCIC or legal qualification
- ✕Charges a fee before explaining what services you will receive