Located in the Philippines, Gateway to Canada states that they are managed by a team of skilled professionals with over 25 years of experience as the "largest and most reputable immigration consultancy in the Philippines." We tested their claim in our Gateway to Canada review to see if they have what it takes to be the "best." 

At first glance, their website looks somewhat plain and outdated. We are introduced to the site on their About Us page, which explains that they are based in the Philippines but have other branches worldwide. We also are told that Gateway to Canada is managed by another company called "Proactive Immigration Adviser Corp which is an authorized agent of Canadian Immigration Consultancy." This could mean that they act as a go-between for these two companies. 

At least they are open about their website not being written by an immigration expert and state that you should not use the information on their site as legal advice. They also explain what an authorized representative is and that only these representatives can legally charge for immigration services. Most websites do not normally provide this information, giving us the impression that the company wants its consumers to make an informed choice. 

Gateway mentions an authorized representative, Joselo Cachapero. In a rare case, rather than being a traditional RCIC like most other immigration consultancies, Mr. Cachapero is a Lawyer certified by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) under number P09674.

Despite not being an RCIC, as a certified lawyer, he still has the knowledge and experience to help prospective immigrants find their pathway to Canada. However, having an RCIC is always first prize for immigration consultancies.

Gateway to Canada's services includes assistance to study, work and live in:

• Canada;
• Australia;
• New Zealand;
• Ireland; and
• The US

But in our Gateway to Canada review, we will only examine the services they offer for Canadian immigration. We decided to try and book an appointment with their consultant and were guided to Joselo Cachapero's website. It briefly details Mr Cachapero's credentials and experience, explains the services offered and provides multiple ways to contact Mr. Cachapero or his business manager.

Upon trying to book an appointment with their company, you're guided to a plethora of links to pages on different professionals - document and admission specialists, case managers, and an accountant/ administrator. None of these people are certified with any major Canadian board like the LSO, IRCC, or CICC. 

The company no longer is as open and transparent about the cost of their services, rather focusing on the breakdown of their services. 

During our Gateway to Canada review, we noticed that the company has an HTTPS secure site, which lets you browse them without worrying about your personal information being stolen by hackers.

Although Gateway does not have the most appealing look, the website is at least functional, and links do seem to work and lead customers where they are supposed to go. At the bottom of each page, the company's Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, and Refund Policy.

These documents are needed to explain how Gateway plans to offer services to its customers, uphold customers' privacy rights and ensure customer privacy. These documents are legally binding to both customers and the company to ensure that there is no mismanagement of client cases or misrepresentation on both side. This is a large positive as it shows their willingness to follow the law and treat clients fairly.

Under the "How to apply for a visa to Canada" section of their website, we found that the company does not explain the process clearly. All we know is that we are meant to complete an evaluation before discovering more. The company has a blog with posts about relevant immigration information, updated regularly.