Immigration fraud is common, and many scams start with someone who sounds official. Checking a representative’s licence takes two minutes.
Who is allowed to charge for immigration advice
- Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC)
- Lawyers who are members of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
- Notaries who are members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec
How to check a consultant
Ask for their licence number. RCIC numbers start with the letter R followed by six digits. Then search their name or number on the CICC public register and confirm the licence is active and has no disciplinary history.
Warning signs
- They guarantee a visa, a job offer or approval.
- They ask you to pay government fees into a personal bank account. Government fees are paid to the Receiver General for Canada.
- Their website claims to be official but is not on canada.ca or gc.ca.
- They will not give you a written agreement that lists fees and services.
Official source: IRCC, using an immigration or citizenship representative.