You need a real lawyer. Immigration consultants are, not in the majority but in a significant majority, money-hungry idiots who will sell you a bill of goods, charge you a thousand dollars, and then make you do all the work to submit forms they'll tell you that they need to review so you don't get rejected. There are some good consultants who are a credit to their profession but there aren't enough of them.Thank you all for your valuable insights. @scylla another (hopefully final) related question: would a certified immigration consultant be as qualified as a trained lawyer to provide advice in a matter such as this? Thanks so much in advance.
A lawyer with immigration law experience will know the rules, regulations, and will likely have good contacts in IRCC that they can use to talk to about your case. Only a few consultants will actually have the network, resources, and capacity to do the same.