Reviewed by a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (licensed by the CICC)Last updated:
Short answer
Only Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), Canadian lawyers and Quebec notaries can legally charge for Canadian immigration advice. Ask for the consultant’s licence number (an R followed by six digits) and search it on the CICC public register before you pay anything.
Step by step: verify a consultant
- Ask for the consultant’s full name and CICC licence number.
- Search the name or number on the CICC public register at college-ic.ca.
- Check that the status is active and that the licence class allows the work you need.
- Make sure the person you deal with is the licensee, or works under their supervision.
- Ask for a written service agreement that shows the licence number, fees and scope.
Warning signs of immigration fraud
- Guaranteed approval, a guaranteed job or a guaranteed visa
- Selling a job offer or an LMIA, or asking you to pay an employer
- Asking you to lie, hide a refusal or use false documents
- No licence number, or refusing to give a written contract
- Pressure to pay quickly in cash or by crypto
- Messages that claim to be from IRCC and ask for payment by gift cards or transfers
Why it matters
IRCC does not accept applications from unlicensed paid representatives. False information can lead to a refusal and a five-year ban for misrepresentation, even if someone else filled in the forms.
IRCC publishes a guide on the risks of unlicensed consultants in several languages, including Arabic.
If you think you were scammed
- Stop paying and keep all messages, receipts and documents.
- Report the consultant to the CICC, or to the law society if it is a lawyer.
- Report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Get a licensed representative to review your file and what was submitted in your name.
Frequently asked questions
Does Innova Immigration have licensed consultants?
Yes. Every file is handled by a CICC-licensed RCIC. Your consultant’s licence number is in your service agreement and can be verified on the CICC register.
Can an agent abroad help me for free?
Unpaid helpers, such as family members, may help. Anyone who charges a fee for Canadian immigration advice must be authorized.
Information on this site is general and is not legal advice. We never guarantee approvals. Only Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes decisions on applications.