Transparency
How provider screening works
Every provider listed on Vianorr Education passes an eight-stage review before their profile goes live. Here is exactly what that review covers — including what we check, what we do not claim, and how screened status is maintained after listing.
One label Vianorr does not use
We do not market providers as "government-approved education agents." The Government of Canada — through EduCanada — explicitly states that it does not accredit, qualify, guarantee, or endorse education agents. Our umbrella label is Vianorr Screened, followed immediately by exactly what was checked. No more, no less.
Verification badges
Badges appear individually on provider listings and profiles. A provider cannot hold a badge they have not passed. Each badge corresponds to a specific check — tapping or hovering shows exactly what was verified.
Identity checked
Vianorr confirmed the individual's identity.
What is verified
- →Government-issued photo ID reviewed
- →Name matches business registration and profile
Business checked
Vianorr reviewed the legal business registration and contact details.
What is verified
- →Legal business name
- →Business registration jurisdiction and number
- →Registered business address
- →Business contact details
- →Corporate website and domain ownership
- →Responsible owner or officer
Institution relationship checked
Vianorr found independent evidence of the claimed institutional relationship.
What is verified
- →Official institution agent directory listing, OR
- →Confirmation from an institutional email domain, OR
- →Current agency agreement, OR
- →Other documentary evidence reviewed by Vianorr
This badge confirms the relationship existed at the time of verification. Institutional relationships change — check the provider's profile for the verification date.
Training credential checked
Vianorr confirmed that the professional completed a named training course or credential.
What is verified
- →Named training program or course
- →Completion date or certificate number reviewed
This badge does not imply that voluntary agent training is a government licence. The Government of Canada does not accredit or endorse education agents.
Compensation disclosed
The provider completed and attested to their compensation disclosure. Their fee model, any institutional commissions, and the institutions they represent are on record.
What is verified
- →Fee model declared and attested
- →Partner institution list submitted
- →Commission arrangements described
Platform history
This provider has a recorded history on the Vianorr platform. Data is generated from platform activity, not self-reported.
What is verified
- →Completed consultations
- →Typical response time
- →Cancellation rate
- →Verified review count
New providers on Vianorr show no platform history. Absence of history is not a negative signal — it reflects recency, not quality.
The eight-stage process
Account and business information
The provider submits their legal and operational identity. This is the foundation for all downstream verification — nothing else can be checked without it.
Provider submits
- →Legal business name
- →Public brand name
- →Business registration jurisdiction and number
- →Registered business address
- →Corporate website and domain
- →Business email (domain must match website)
- →Owners and directors
- →Countries served
- →Number of counsellors in the practice
Individual counsellors
Every agency must identify the people who actually provide advice. Vianorr does not allow an agency to hide all advice behind one corporate listing — clients deserve to know who they are speaking to.
Provider submits for each counsellor
- →Full name
- →Professional headshot
- →Languages spoken
- →Location and time zone
- →Education specialisation areas
- →Years of experience
- →Training credentials completed
- →Institution relationships (listed per counsellor)
- →Separate regulated credentials where applicable (RCIC, paralegal, etc.)
Services
The provider selects the services they offer from Vianorr's service taxonomy and creates individual service offerings. Vague service descriptions are rejected — every offering must state deliverables and exclusions.
Provider defines per offering
- →Service category from the Vianorr taxonomy
- →Service name and intended client
- →Deliverables (specific, not vague)
- →Explicit exclusions
- →Duration and process
- →Price or free status
- →Payment model (student-paid, commission-funded, or hybrid)
- →Cancellation terms
- →Required student information at intake
- →Whether institutional commissions may be received for this offering
Institution relationships
For each institution the provider claims a relationship with, they must provide independent evidence. Claimed relationships without evidence are not published on the profile.
Provider submits per institution
- →Institution name
- →Relationship type (direct agent, through aggregator, etc.)
- →Date the relationship began
- →Expected expiry or review date
- →Documentary evidence (directory listing, agreement, institutional email confirmation)
- →Countries or programs the relationship covers
- →Commission rate or confirmation that no commission is received
- →Whether the relationship is direct or through an aggregator
Conduct declaration
The provider formally agrees to Vianorr's marketplace standards. The signed declaration is on record and is referenced in any dispute or complaint. Providers must re-confirm when their profile is updated.
Provider declares agreement to
- →No admission guarantees of any kind
- →No immigration advice without separate authorisation
- →No false or unverified institutional affiliations
- →No document fraud or alteration
- →No impersonation of institutions or Vianorr
- →No ghostwriting personal statements or academic work
- →No hidden commissions or undisclosed financial relationships
- →No pressure tactics or artificial urgency
- →No buying, soliciting, or incentivising reviews
- →No selling or sharing student data
- →Students always receive a copy of their submitted information
- →Timely and full cooperation with any complaint investigation
Human review
Vianorr reviews the completed application. Review is not automatic — every application is assessed by a person before going live. Approval criteria are applied consistently regardless of commercial relationship.
Vianorr may
- →Approve — application passes; profile proceeds to Stage 7
- →Request more information — specific gaps identified; application paused
- →Approve with limitations — profile published with restricted service scope pending further verification
- →Reject — application does not meet standards; reason provided in writing
- →Escalate for enhanced due diligence — additional verification steps before a decision is made
Probationary publication
Newly approved providers publish with a visible status label. They are not penalised in search results for having no review history — but they are also not given an artificially strong position. The label is visible to students.
What the profile shows
- →Status label: 'New on Vianorr' visible on listing and profile
- →No platform-history badge until consultation activity accrues
- →Matched to students based on service and stage fit — not boosted or penalised for being new
- →Promoted to standard status after the probationary period and a satisfactory review
Ongoing review
Screened status is not permanent. Vianorr monitors for trigger events that require re-verification. Providers are expected to notify Vianorr proactively when their circumstances change.
Re-verification triggered when
- →An institution relationship expires or is terminated
- →The provider changes legal identity, name, or ownership
- →A counsellor leaves the practice
- →A serious or substantiated complaint is filed
- →A credential expires (training or regulated)
- →The provider begins offering a new regulated service
- →Payment identity or banking arrangements change
- →A material claim on the profile changes
What screening is not
Passing Vianorr's review is not an endorsement of any specific provider or their quality of advice. It means they have met our minimum transparency, identity, and credential requirements at the time of review.
Screened status applies to the date of each check, not permanently. You should still evaluate providers based on your own needs — their service specialisms, fee model, institution relationships, and counsellor experience as it relates to your specific situation.