canway

Great forum. This is my first post.

As per the title, I understand laws have recently tightened and I want to maximize the potential for a successful application.

From what I understand, there is good probability that my file could be highly scrutinized because we met online (not on a dating site or looking for a relationship) and we're making plans 2 months after we met despite never having met in person before. We are planning to wed in approximately four months here in Canada, after which time, she will return to Europe to complete her work contract before she returns to live here.

Probably the only thing we have working in our favor, from Immigration Canada's perspective, is that she is leaving a good salaried job in a country wealthier than Canada to come be with me. We have records of most of our communication since the inception of our relationship.

I've read a few threads advocating people to file themselves but it stands to reason that could be a good way to screw up your file. So, do I hire someone to guide us through the process or do we DIY it? If I you suggest retaining a lawyer/consultant, who do you recommend? What kind of fees am I looking at from start to finish?