OpenVisaDo we need a lawyer or RCIC?
The forms and instructions are free. A representative is a choice, not a requirement.
No. IRCC says you don't need a representative and publishes every form and instruction for free; if you do pay for advice, only three kinds of licensed people may give it.
1. What does IRCC say?
You don't need to hire a representative! It's your choice. Using one will not draw special attention to your application and doesn't mean we'll approve it. You can get all the forms and instructions you need to apply for a visa, a permit or citizenship for free on this website.
2. Who is allowed to advise you for a fee?
Only three kinds of people can give immigration advice or represent you for money: lawyers and paralegals who are members of a Canadian law society, notaries who are members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and consultants licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (RCICs). Anyone else who charges for this advice is in breach of IRPA s.91.
Software is not a representative. OpenVisa fills the forms from your own answers and puts a plain-language guide beside each question; it doesn't advise on your case and doesn't act for you with IRCC.
3. When do people look for a representative?
IRCC says using a representative won't draw special attention to an application and doesn't mean it will be approved. People commonly look for one when there's a previous refusal or misrepresentation finding, criminal history, a removal order, or a refusal that could go to the Immigration Appeal Division.
4. What if we do hire someone?
Use the "Use of a Representative" form (IMM 5476) so IRCC will talk to them. Each person 18 or older who appoints a representative signs one; the sponsor and applicant can sign one form for the same representative. Check the licence: law society directories for lawyers, the College's public register for RCICs. A representative who asks you to leave their name off the application is the warning sign IRCC itself describes.
OpenVisa is software, not a lawyer or RCIC. This page explains what the rules and forms say; it is not advice about your case. You submit your application yourself.