Canada · Before you pay
How to check an immigration consultant in Canada
Only authorized representatives may charge you for help with a Canadian immigration or citizenship application: lawyers and paralegals in a provincial or territorial law society, Quebec notaries, and consultants licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), called RCICs. Look a consultant up in the CICC Public Register and check that it says “Entitled to Practise: Yes” before you pay.
You don't need a representative. IRCC: “Using one will not draw special attention to your application and doesn’t mean we’ll approve it.” All forms and instructions are free on its website. IRCC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
Five checks before you pay
- Find the consultant in the CICC Public RegisterBy first or last name, College ID (the R-number), company name, country or city.
- Read “Entitled to Practise”Only “Yes” may legally give immigration advice. “No” can't, whatever the reason.
- A lawyer, paralegal or notary?Check the law society or the Chambre des notaires du Québec instead. For Quebec immigration, a consultant also needs Quebec's own recognition.
- A written contract, and a receipt every timeIt lists every service and the fee you agreed; you get a signed receipt for each payment.
- No guarantees, no shortcutsDon't pay for guaranteed entry or faster processing. IRCC never asks for money by phone, into a personal bank account or through a private money transfer company.
Who may charge for immigration help
- Authorized representatives. “Only some people can charge you a fee or receive any other type of payment.” They are lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, notaries in good standing with the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and consultants in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. IRCC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
- Any payment counts. “if you pay a representative or compensate them in any way in exchange for their services, we consider that paid and they must be authorized.” IRCC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
- Unauthorized means refused. “We won’t deal with representatives who charge a fee but are not authorized. If you use an unauthorized representative, in Canada or abroad, we may return your application or refuse it.” IRCC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
- It is the law. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act forbids representing or advising anyone for payment on an immigration application unless you are a lawyer, a Quebec notary, another law society member or a CICC member in good standing; on indictment the penalty is a fine of up to $200,000, up to two years in prison, or both. The Citizenship Act sets the same rule for citizenship applications. IRPA, s. 91 · Citizenship Act, s. 21.1 · read 1 Nov 2026
- Help that isn't representation. Friends, family, travel agents or visa application centre staff who only help you use IRCC's website, get documents translated or make travel plans are not acting as representatives. IRCC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
- Organisations under agreement with Canada: an organisation acting under an agreement with the Government of Canada that authorizes it to help with applications doesn't break the representation rule. IRPA, s. 91 · read 1 Nov 2026
The CICC Public Register, step by step
- Open the Public Register
“Anyone can use this Public Register to help verify a Canadian immigration consultant’s status as a licensee of the College.” Search fields: first name, last name, College ID, company name, country and city. Open the CICC Public Register CICC, archived copy of 15 Dec 2025 · CICC register (read 1 Nov 2026)
- Read the “Entitled to Practise” column
“Only RCICs and RISIAs marked as ‘Yes’ in that column can legally provide immigration advice or services.” Statuses such as leave of absence, resigned, administrative suspension, revocation or disciplinary suspension mean the person can't provide services. CICC, archived copy of 15 Dec 2025
- Read the licence class
RCIC L1 and L2 licensees have the full scope of practice; only L3 (RCIC-IRB) licensees may represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board. CICC, archived copy of 15 Dec 2025
- Search the person, not only the firm
The register lists individual licensees, each with a company field: in our searches a firm's name brought up its consultants. If the firm's name finds nobody, search the consultant's name or College ID from its website.
- Not on the register?
“If your immigration consultant does not appear in our Public Register, you may also check the Government of Canada website to determine if they are authorized by another organization.” CICC, archived copy of 15 Dec 2025
Lawyers, notaries, paralegals and Quebec
- Which body: “Citizenship or immigration consultants must be a member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Lawyers or notaries must be a member of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or the Chambre des notaires du Québec. Paralegals (Ontario only) must be members of the Law Society of Ontario” IRCC, archived copy of 11 Oct 2026
- Law societies: “If they are not members in good standing, you should not use their services. Most law societies let you check online to see if a person is a member in good standing.” IRCC, archived copy of 11 Oct 2026
- Quebec immigration needs Quebec's recognition. “Détenir un permis en règle du Collège des consultants en immigration et en citoyenneté ne suffit pas pour agir comme consultante ou comme consultant en immigration au Québec. Vous devez obtenir la reconnaissance.” (“Holding a valid licence from the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants is not enough to act as an immigration consultant in Quebec. You must obtain recognition.”) Québec.ca (MIFI) · read 1 Nov 2026
- The Quebec register. Recognized consultants are listed in the Registre québécois des consultants en immigration; on 1 Nov 2026 its search page listed 729 entries, 683 of them with valid recognition. Search it on Québec.ca Québec.ca (MIFI) · read 1 Nov 2026
- Quebec lawyers and notaries don't need that recognition; anyone else acting as a consultant in Quebec without it may be prosecuted. Québec.ca (MIFI) · read 1 Nov 2026
Red flags, from IRCC
Walk away if
- Guaranteed entry into Canada or faster processing: “These claims are false.” IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026
- Services advertised as free, with a fee later, or advice to lie on your application. IRCC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
- A request to leave your original documents or photos, or to sign blank forms or papers you can't read. IRCC, archived copy of 13 Sept 2026
- Emails from a free webmail address (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) instead of gc.ca or Canada.ca; IRCC doesn't send visas by email. IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026
- Payment by phone: “We will never ask you for any sort of payment by telephone.” IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026
- Websites that copy official ones, claim to be government partners, or offer special immigration deals or guaranteed jobs. IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026
How IRCC and a real representative take money
- IRCC never asks for deposits into a personal bank account or transfers through a private money transfer company; its fees are in Canadian dollars and the same worldwide. IRCC, archived copy of 13 Sept 2026
- Companies offering to get you an eTA “are not working with the Government of Canada”; the official place to apply is the Government of Canada website. IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026
- A written contract listing all services and the fee, and a signed receipt every time you pay. IRCC, archived copy of 13 Sept 2026
IRCC lists no “WhatsApp only” or “cash only” warning in those words, so we don't list them.
Complaints and reporting
- Complaints about a consultant go to the CICC; about a lawyer or notary, to their provincial or territorial law society or the Chambre des notaires du Québec. IRCC, archived copy of 26 Sept 2026
- Representative fraud: if you suspect your representative committed fraud or gave false information about your application, tell IRCC through its web form and tell the Canada Border Services Agency. IRCC, archived copy of 26 Sept 2026
- Online, phone and text scams: report them to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre; if you gave personal or financial details, also contact your local police or the RCMP. IRCC, archived copy of 6 Oct 2026
- Immigration fraud in Canada: the CBSA's Border Watch Line. IRCC, archived copy of 6 Oct 2026
Our Canada list, checked in the CICC register
We searched the CICC Public Register on 4 Nov 2026 for all 78 of our Canadian listings, by company name, College ID and surname. The licence check counts for consultancies and for anyone we couldn't confirm; it drops out for immigration lawyers and for agencies that only get visas for trips abroad, so their count is out of five.
How we matched. The register lists people, not firms: “on the register” means at least one licensee whose company, College ID or name, as shown on the agency's own website, matches the agency, marked “Entitled to Practise: Yes”. It doesn't mean every adviser at the firm is licensed. “Not yet confirmed” means only that we couldn't confirm a licensee entitled to practise; it is not a finding that the agency is unlicensed. Law societies and the Quebec register weren't searched.
FAQ
How do I check if an immigration consultant is licensed in Canada?
Find them in the CICC Public Register by name, College ID or company, and check the “Entitled to Practise” column: only “Yes” may legally give immigration advice. Lawyers and Quebec notaries are checked with their law society or the Chambre des notaires instead.
What is an RCIC?
A Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. The register shows RCIC - L1 or L2, or RCIC-IRB - L3 for licensees who may also represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board.
What does “Entitled to Practise: No” mean?
“Any RCIC or RISIA marked as ‘No’ under the Entitled to Practise column CANNOT legally provide immigration advice or services.” Statuses such as leave of absence, resigned or a suspension explain why.
Do I need a consultant to apply for a Canadian visa?
No. IRCC: “It's your choice. Using one will not draw special attention to your application and doesn’t mean we’ll approve it.” All forms and instructions are free on its website.
Can a travel agent help with my Canadian visa application?
Help with IRCC's website, translations or travel plans isn't representation, and travel agents or visa centre staff may give it. Anyone you pay to represent you or advise you on the application must be an authorized representative.
How do I report a fake immigration consultant?
Complain to the CICC about a consultant; report representative fraud to IRCC through its web form and to the CBSA; report online, phone or text scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Related
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Sources. IRCC, the Justice Laws Website, the CICC and Québec.ca, linked next to each fact. IRCC's and the CICC's own pages don't open for our tools, so those facts quote the archived copy named next to them; the CICC register itself was searched live on 4 Nov 2026. We are not IRCC or the CICC, and we don't give immigration advice. Report a change.