Read this before you hire an immigration consultant: who can charge you for help, how to check a licence, what to do about "ghost consultants", and the new penalties from October 2026

1. Who can charge you to help with immigration, and who can only help for free

Only three kinds of people can charge you. IRCC calls them "authorized paid representatives":

All three must be "in good standing", which means their licence is currently valid and they have not been suspended. IRCC states that if the paid representative you use is not one of these three kinds, IRCC will not deal with them, and may return or refuse your application.

Notaries in B.C. are not on the list. The only notaries named in section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec. A notary public in B.C. does not belong to that body or to a law society, so they are not on the list of people who can charge you to help with immigration. In B.C., you can go to a notary to have a signature notarized, but you cannot pay one to handle your immigration for you.

What counts as "charging". IRCC states that if you give them money, or compensate them in any other way, such as buying them a meal, giving them a gift or doing work for them, that counts as charging a fee, and they must be licensed. Even if someone else pays them for you, such as your employer or your school, they are still a paid representative. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) also states that unpaid representatives cannot even accept gifts.

Who can help you for free. Family members, friends or anyone else who does not charge can be your representative for free, and can do the same things a paid representative does. A licensed consultant or lawyer who helps you without charging also counts as an unpaid representative. But whether they charge or not, if you want them to deal with IRCC for you, you must fill out the "Use of a Representative" form, IMM 5476 (explained in section 6).

Some help does not count as representation. IRCC lists some kinds of help where the person does not need to be a representative and no form is needed: helping you find information on websites, lending you a computer, scanner or printer, showing you how to use online systems, helping you upload or download files, finding a translator, booking travel, and helping you choose and register for courses. The people doing this can be friends and family, travel agents, recruitment agencies, school recruitment agents, or staff at visa application centres. But once any of them charges you to give advice, such as which immigration program to apply for or how to fill out a form, they must be licensed.

Organizations with a government agreement are a separate case. Section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act also states that an organization that has an agreement with the Government of Canada and provides application help under that agreement is not breaking the law. Staff at visa application centres are also on IRCC's list of "other help".

You do not have to hire anyone. IRCC states that whether to use a representative is your own choice; if you use one, your application will not get special attention, and it will not be processed faster or approved more easily because of it; the forms and instructions on the IRCC website are free, and by following the instructions most people can fill out and submit the forms themselves.

What to ask. If someone says they can help with your immigration, first ask which kind of representative they are:

• "Are you a licensed immigration consultant or a lawyer? What is your College ID or law society membership number?"
• "Will you charge me a fee? Can I have a written contract that lists all services and the total fee?"

2. Check the licence before you pay: where to check consultants and lawyers

Step 1: Get their number. A consultant has a CICC number (College ID), and a lawyer has a law society membership number. A legitimate representative will tell you right away, and this number also has to be written on the IMM 5476 form. If they will not tell you, or say "there is no need to check", do not go any further with them.

Step 2: For a consultant, search the CICC Public Register. Open the CICC Public Register and click "Search for an RCIC" to look up immigration consultants, or "Search for a RISIA" to look up international student immigration advisors (the two are listed separately). You can search by first name, last name, CICC number, company name, country or city.

• The list of results shows: the CICC number, name, company, licence class (Licence Type) and whether they are entitled to practise (Entitlement to Practise).
• If you click on a person, you can also see: their licence status (Active or Inactive), licence history, contact information, the agents working under them (Agent Details), and their disciplinary record (suspensions, revocations, restrictions on practice, ongoing disciplinary proceedings and past decisions).
• The CICC reminds you to contact the person yourself, using the phone number, email and company name listed in the register. Some people use a licensed consultant's name online to attract clients; if you check using the phone number or email they gave you, you cannot tell whether they are real.
• If you cannot find the person in the register, the CICC says you can check the government website to see whether they are regulated by another body (for example, they may actually be a lawyer). People without a licence are not regulated and will never appear in the register.

The two kinds of consultants are different. The CICC regulates two kinds of people: Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) and Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIA).

• A RISIA can only advise international students on matters such as study permits at the school that employs them. According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), a RISIA licence is valid only while the person is employed by a designated learning institution (DLI); it cannot be used to take on clients independently outside the school or to act as an agent for different schools. Be especially careful if someone outside a school says they are a RISIA and wants to charge you to handle your immigration.
• To represent you before the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), for example at a refugee hearing or an immigration appeal, a consultant also needs a special licence. The IRB states that since July 1, 2023, CICC consultants must hold a specific licence class to represent clients before the IRB, even if they do not charge.
• What each class in the register's "licence class" column actually allows: the CICC's explanation page could not be read this time, so this was not checked. If you cannot understand the class you find, call the person directly at the number listed in the register, or ask the CICC.

Step 3: For a lawyer, search the Law Society of British Columbia's directory. In the Law Society of British Columbia's Lawyer Directory, it is best to enter only the lawyer's last name (in full or in part). The results show: whether they can currently practise, their contact information, whether they have a disciplinary record, whether they are restricted from practising in certain areas of law, and whether there are any ongoing regulatory proceedings.

• The Law Society of British Columbia also has an Unauthorized Practitioners database, which lists people against whom the Law Society has obtained a court order since September 2003 for illegally providing legal services or pretending to be a lawyer.
• The Law Society reminds you to check that a law firm's website is real before you hire a lawyer. For example, if the website shows a gavel or calls lawyers "attorney", these are American usages: courts in Canada do not use gavels, and lawyers here are not called attorneys.
• If the lawyer practises in another province, check with that province's law society; the list of provincial law societies is on IRCC's "Find out if your representative is authorized" page.
• Licensed paralegals in Ontario must be members of the Law Society of Ontario; for where to check, see the links listed on IRCC's "Find out if your representative is authorized" page.

Step 4: Ask before you sign a contract. IRCC recommends: ask several people you trust before you decide; ask the representative what training they have and how long they have been working, and ask for references; agree clearly on what work will be done and how much it will cost; and always get a written contract, read it carefully before you sign, and make sure it lists all services and states the agreed fees. Be careful of anyone who will not answer your questions.

Only a lawyer can represent you at the Federal Court. Some IRCC or IRB decisions can be taken to the Federal Court for judicial review. The Federal Court states that in immigration, refugee and citizenship cases, you can represent yourself or hire a lawyer; immigration consultants and other people who are not lawyers cannot represent you in the Federal Court, and cannot give you legal advice on Federal Court proceedings. Only in special circumstances, if you bring a motion and the Court approves it, may someone who is not a lawyer be allowed to represent you.

If you are applying to a Quebec immigration program, there is one more check. A consultant who charges people to submit expressions of interest or immigration applications to the Province of Quebec needs more than a CICC licence: they must also be recognized by Quebec's Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI), and their name will appear in Quebec's register of consultants. Lawyers who are members of the Barreau du Québec and Quebec notaries do not need separate recognition. If you only deal with federal immigration in B.C., this does not apply to you.

3. Claims that should make you wary right away

What a "ghost consultant" is. This is a commonly used term, not a legal term. It generally means an unlicensed agent who charges people to handle their immigration: they give you advice and fill out your forms, but do not put their own name on the IMM 5476 form; they stay in the background, and when something goes wrong you cannot find them. Under immigration law, charging for this kind of help without a licence is itself illegal (section 4).

IRCC's website specifically warns about all of the following:

• They say it is free at first, then ask for money. IRCC warns that some people first advertise their services as free and later ask you for money; some write on the IMM 5476 form that they are an unpaid representative and then charge you afterwards.
• They coach you to lie. If someone tells you to hide a little, change a little or make up a little in your application, do not listen, no matter how harmless they make it sound. Submitting false, incomplete or misleading information in an application is against the law.
• They say "there is no need to tell immigration about me". What IRCC says amounts to this: if your representative says they do not need to give their information to IRCC, they are wrong. If you use a representative, you must fill out IMM 5476, even if they help you for free.
• They guarantee approval, guarantee speed, or say they can "fix" your problem. IRCC states that scammers promise to get your application approved faster, or to "fix" problems with your application. Using a representative does not make an application faster or easier to approve in the first place.
• Online "immigration offers" in videos and private messages. IRCC specifically warns that some people use videos of celebrities, officials or consultants (very likely made with artificial intelligence) to promote fake "immigration offers", mostly posted on social media; there are also private messages on social media, fake emails, fake websites, suspicious calls and text messages, and prize notifications.
• They have you pay IRCC fees by credit card and then reverse the payment. If you pay a visa application fee by credit card and then you, or someone acting for you, has the payment reversed (a chargeback), IRCC treats this as fraud: your visa application may be cancelled, delayed or refused, you may be barred from coming to Canada for up to 10 years, and your future applications may also be affected.

There is also a hidden danger: the letters all go to your representative. The IMM 5476 instructions make it clear: once you appoint a representative, letters from IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are sent to your representative, not to you. So if your representative keeps quiet, you may never know about an IRCC letter asking you to send more documents or to reply by a deadline. After you hire a representative, ask them regularly: Has IRCC sent any letters? Can you forward me the original letters? If they never show you anything, be on your guard (section 6 explains how to remove them and how to get a copy of your own file).

4. The new penalties from October 2026: who can be fined, how much, and how

When they start. On October 23, 2026, the federal government approved two sets of amending regulations: one amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (registration number SOR/2026-220), and the other amends the Citizenship Regulations (SOR/2026-221). Both state that they "come into force on the day on which they are registered", and they were registered on October 23. On October 28, IRCC announced that the new penalties are "now in force" and that the government can issue them starting that day. The full text of the regulations was published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on November 4, 2026.

Only for what happens after they took effect. IRCC states that these rules apply only to violations that happen after the regulations came into force; earlier conduct will not be penalized under them.

Who can be fined. Anyone who charges to give immigration or citizenship advice or to act for someone: licensed consultants, lawyers and other authorized representatives, and also people who secretly charge without a licence. People outside Canada can be fined too, and their names published. The regulations state that this includes violations committed outside Canada.

The three kinds of violations:

Citizenship matters are covered by the Citizenship Regulations, with the same amounts. For documents protected by solicitor-client privilege, litigation privilege or the professional secrecy of advocates and notaries, lawyers, Quebec notaries and the students-at-law they supervise can submit an affidavit saying so within the deadline, instead of handing over those documents.

How the penalty is calculated. For the first two (charging without a licence and misrepresentation), the formula is:

(base penalty + additional amount for harm caused + money received from the violation) × multiplier

• Additional amount for harm caused: if the misrepresentation actually led IRCC to make a wrong decision, for example an application that should not have been approved was approved because of false documents, another $15,000 is added. This does not apply to charging without a licence.
• Money received from the violation: whatever they were paid for this violation is added. For example, if they charged you a $3,000 service fee, $3,000 is added.
• The multiplier depends on whether they have been formally found to have committed a violation before:

For not providing documents during an inspection, the $10,000 is simply multiplied by the multiplier; even if documents are refused several times during one inspection, the penalty applies only once.

Up to $1.5 million per notice. If one notice of violation lists several violations and they add up to more than $1.5 million, the total is capped at $1.5 million. If an immigration notice and a citizenship notice are each issued on the same day, the two together also cannot be more than $1.5 million. According to the analysis published in the Gazette, each notice will be at least $2,500 and at most $1.5 million.

Some sample calculations (all hypothetical):

• An unlicensed agent outside Canada charges you $1,000, gives you advice and helps you fill out forms, and is fined for the first time: ($5,000 + 0 + $1,000) × 0.5 = $3,000.
• A licensed representative uses a fake employment letter to pad a client's work experience, and the application is approved because of it; the representative charged $2,000 and has been fined once before: ($15,000 + $15,000 + $2,000) × 1 = $32,000. If they also refused to provide documents during the inspection, another $10,000 × 1 = $10,000 is added, for a total of $42,000.

How the process works (roughly):

1. Inspection. If an officer has reasonable grounds to suspect a violation, they can carry out an inspection and require, in writing, that the person provide the relevant documents by a deadline. According to the explanation in the Gazette, the suspicion can come from complaints, anonymous tips, information passed on by other government departments, or routine monitoring and spot checks. So your report does make a difference.
2. Preliminary notice. If the officer has reasonable grounds to believe a violation has happened, they first issue a preliminary notice setting out the facts of the violation, the penalty for each violation and the total. The person has 30 days to respond in writing, and can ask for an extension. Preliminary notices are not made public.
3. Notice of violation. After considering the response, if the officer finds on a balance of probabilities that the violation happened, a notice of violation is issued. Within 30 days of receiving it, the person must either pay in full, enter into a payment agreement with the Minister, or request a review. If they neither pay nor request a review, they are considered to have committed the violation.
4. Review. Reviews are done by reviewers appointed by the Governor in Council. A request for review must give reasons, and no new evidence can be submitted. The reviewer can decide that there was no violation and cancel the penalty; or decide that the violation did happen and confirm the amount, or correct an amount that was calculated wrongly (it may go up or down). If the person disagrees with the review decision, they can still apply to the Federal Court for judicial review.

Names will be published. For anyone found to have committed a violation, IRCC will publish on its website: their name, the name and address of their business or employer, the date of the notice of violation (or of the review decision), the violation and the provision involved, the amount of the penalty, and whether it has been paid. This is published only after the 30 days for requesting a review have passed; the Gazette states that if a decision is later overturned on judicial review, the published information will be removed. IRCC expects to launch this list in 2027, after the first penalties have been issued. Until the list is online, keep using the CICC register and the law society directories to check licences.

Penalties and jail are two different things. These penalties are administrative penalties imposed by IRCC; discipline by the CICC and the law societies, and criminal investigations by police and the CBSA, happen separately, and none of them replaces the others. According to the explanation in the Gazette, criminal cases under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are mainly investigated by the CBSA, and those under the Citizenship Act by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act already makes it a crime to charge for immigration help without a licence: on conviction on indictment, the maximum is a $200,000 fine, 2 years in prison, or both; on summary conviction, the maximum is a $40,000 fine, 6 months in prison, or both.

The phone number and email for paying penalties at IRCC are for people who have been fined; you do not need to call them.

5. Your representative filled out the forms, but mistakes still count as yours

IRCC's principle. IRCC states that you are responsible for all the information in your application, including what your representative filled in for you.

What the law says. Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a permanent resident or foreign national who directly or indirectly misrepresents or withholds material facts, where this causes or could cause an error in how IRCC applies the law, is inadmissible for "misrepresentation".

• The period of inadmissibility is 5 years. If the finding is made outside Canada, it counts from the date of the final determination; if it is made in Canada, it counts from the date the removal order is enforced.
• During these 5 years, a foreign national found inadmissible for misrepresentation cannot apply for permanent residence.

Two examples. A form asks whether you have ever been refused a visa, and your representative ticks "no" for you; or your representative uses a made-up employer letter to pad your work experience. Either of these could be misrepresentation, even though you did not type the words yourself. A small typo and hiding something important lead to different results; it depends on what was wrong and whether it could affect IRCC's decision.

False documents IRCC names. Passports and travel documents; visas and entry and exit stamps; language test results; employment letters and job offers; school acceptance letters, tuition receipts and transcripts; diplomas, degrees, and apprenticeship and trade certificates; documents proving family relationships (birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, separation, death and guardianship certificates, among others); police certificates and court documents; and DNA test results. Hiding a medical condition from the doctor during a medical exam, submitting false medical documents, and lying about how long you have lived in Canada when applying to renew a PR card or for citizenship all count as fraud too.

How serious the consequences are. IRCC lists the following: if you, your representative or your translator submits false documents or information, your application will be refused; you may be barred from coming to Canada for at least 5 years; IRCC may keep a permanent record of the fraud; your temporary status, permanent resident status or even Canadian citizenship may be taken away; you may be barred from applying for citizenship for 5 years; and you may be removed from Canada.

IRCC's approach. IRCC states that its focus is on finding and stopping the people who commit fraud, not on punishing the people who were deceived. So if you find out that your representative falsified something, the sooner you come forward and explain, the better (section 6).

International students misled with false documents. IRCC states that an international student who used false documents without knowing it may be able to get a temporary resident permit to stay, if all three of these conditions are met: they came to Canada genuinely to study; they did not know the documents were false; and they have already received a removal order. They should first contact the IRCC Client Support Centre, and then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Fraud in citizenship applications falls under the Citizenship Act separately. This guide does not cover it in detail.

6. If you find a problem with your representative: do things in this order

Step 1: Keep the evidence. Take screenshots of and save the service contract, receipts, transfer records, chat messages and emails, and do not delete anything. Ask your representative for a full copy of everything they submitted for you. Then find the correct original documents you have (such as your real employment letters and transcripts) and write down clearly, side by side: which application number, which form and which question, what was submitted, and what the true facts are.

If your representative will not give you a copy, ask IRCC yourself. Under the Privacy Act, you can ask IRCC for a free copy of the personal information in your file; you can apply whether or not you are in Canada, and whatever your status.

• Applying online is fast and convenient: https://atip-aiprp.apps.gc.ca/atip/; you can also mail form IMM 5563, or a letter stating that you are making a request under the Privacy Act, to: Access to Information and Privacy Division, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1.
• The legal response time is 30 calendar days; IRCC can extend this by up to another 30 days under the Privacy Act. IRCC's page also says that a large increase in requests may affect how quickly it can respond.
• To apply for someone else, you must attach a consent form, IMM 5744, signed by that person; one is needed for each person aged 16 or older on the file.
• This is the most direct official way to find out whether a representative is recorded on your file, and who it is.

Step 2: Remove or replace your representative (form IMM 5476). You can change or remove your representative at any time, or stop using a representative and deal with IRCC directly yourself. The IRCC Help Centre states that if you change representatives, you must tell IRCC right away.

• Use the "Use of a Representative" form, IMM 5476, from the IRCC website. The current version is the November 2025 version; IRCC accepted the old version only until March 12, 2026, so you must now use the new one.
• At the top of the form, tick what you want to do: to remove a representative only, fill out Sections A, C and E; to remove the old one and appoint a new one, fill out Sections A, B, C and E; to appoint a new representative, fill out Sections A, B and E.
• Section A is about you: your name, date of birth, email (or phone number if you have no email), the type and number of any application you have already submitted (if you know them), and your unique client identifier from IRCC (UCI, if you know it). Section B (only if you are appointing a new representative) is for the new representative's full name (as written in the CICC register or the law society directory); you tick whether they are paid or unpaid; for a paid representative, you write their CICC number or law society membership number; then their contact information; and finally the new representative signs and dates it themselves. Section C is for the full name of the representative you are removing. You sign Section E.
• One application can have only one representative at a time. In the same application, accompanying children aged 18 or older must each fill out their own form if the representative is also acting for them. A spouse or common-law partner must fill out a separate form; sponsorship applications are an exception, where the spouse can sign on your form.
• How to submit it: if you have already submitted your application, use IRCC's online form "Add, change or cancel a representative"; if you submitted a paper application, you can also mail it to the IRCC office processing your application. If you have not submitted your application yet, submit the form together with your application.
• If IRCC returns your application with a letter saying it cannot verify your representative's status: the IRCC Help Centre says to re-send your application to that IRCC office as soon as possible, with proof of your representative's status (for example, a photocopy of their membership card); if you find out that they are not authorized, you can choose another representative or apply on your own.
• If you only want a friend or family member to check on your application's progress, without being your representative, fill out a different form, IMM 5475. This person can see your application status, but cannot act for you.

Step 3: Tell IRCC what is wrong in your file. IRCC states that if you find out that your representative is not licensed and they are already recorded on your file, you should update your application and remove them as soon as possible. If you suspect that your representative falsified information or submitted incorrect information for you:

• Use the "Report the representative to us" link on IRCC's reporting page; it opens the online form "Update or ask about your application: Add a document to your application" (for adding documents to an application). In the "Tell us about your request" box, explain as clearly as you can and attach documents that support what you say.
• Correcting your application and complaining about your representative are two separate things and must be done separately: the form above is for correcting your own file; for complaints about the representative, go to the places described in Step 4.
• If IRCC writes to you asking you to explain the situation by a deadline, reply as the letter asks and by its deadline. If you are not sure how to reply, first ask a lawyer or legal aid (section 7).

Step 4: Where to report or complain. According to IRCC's page on how to report:

How to contact each one:

• CBSA Border Watch Line: the online reporting form is open 24 hours a day; phone 1-888-502-9060 (toll-free in Canada and the United States), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time. B.C. did not move its clocks back on November 1, 2026, and now keeps one time all year (UTC-7), so in winter (after Eastern Canada sets its clocks back to standard time, roughly from early November to mid-March of the following year) this is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. B.C. time, and in summer it is 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. You do not have to give your name or phone number; calls are not recorded; and the CBSA will not tell you what happened afterwards.
• Complaining to the CICC about a consultant: IRCC's reporting page links to the CICC's complaints page, which could not be read this time, so the exact steps were not checked. The CICC register page states that to report an unlicensed person, you must first open an account on the CICC's College Portal and then fill out the online complaint form.
• Complaining to the Law Society of British Columbia about a lawyer: the fastest way is to fill out the online complaint form; you can also download the form, fill it out and scan it to professionalconduct@lsbc.org, or send it by mail or fax. Complaints must be in writing and include your name, address and phone number. If you have difficulty reading or writing English, you can ask for language help.
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC): report online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca, where you can stay anonymous; phone 1-888-495-8501, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time, not on holidays. In B.C. time, this is 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. in winter and 7 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. in summer. The CAFC reminds you that if you are a victim, you should report it to your local police as soon as possible; investigating is the police's job.
• Victoria Police Department (VicPD): covers Victoria and Esquimalt. If it is not an emergency, call the non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654. If you live in Saanich, Oak Bay, the West Shore or similar areas, call your local police's non-emergency number. If you are in danger, call 911.
• IRCC Client Support Centre: 1-888-242-2100 (only from within Canada). Agents are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (your local time), closed on statutory holidays; the automated service is available 24 hours a day. Have your UCI and application number ready before you call.

What to say:

• To ask your representative for a copy: "Please send me a complete copy of everything you submitted to IRCC for my application, including all forms and the Use of a Representative form."
• When calling IRCC: "I want to cancel my representative. I will submit a new IMM 5476 form. Can you confirm my file information?"
• When calling the CBSA line: "I want to report a representative who may have submitted false information on my immigration application."
• In the "Tell us about your request" box for IRCC: first write your application number and UCI, then write "My former representative, [name], submitted the following incorrect information: [which form, which question, what was submitted]. The correct information is: [the true facts]. I attach: [list of attachments]."

Related: if you accidentally gave your ID or banking information to a scammer, for how to check your credit reports and add a fraud alert, see Guide No. 34, Protecting your credit.

7. Where to find free, legitimate help

First, remember: the forms and instructions are free. The forms and instructions on the IRCC website cost nothing. If there is something you are not sure about, you can start with the free places below.

Federally funded newcomer services. Settlement agencies funded by IRCC help newcomers for free: learning about daily life, making a settlement plan, finding work, language assessments and English classes, preparing for the citizenship test, and connecting with the community; there are also services specifically for children, youth, women, seniors, refugees, people with disabilities and others. Who can use them:

• permanent residents (including refugees resettled to Canada from abroad, known in English as resettled refugees);
• people whose permanent residence application has been approved in principle and who have received a confirmation letter from IRCC;
• protected persons who have received a positive decision from the IRB;
• temporary residents (or their dependants) in certain employment programs, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural and Northern Immigration Program;
• people in a few other special pathways.
• IRCC states that since April 1, 2026, economic class permanent residents can use these services only for a limited period.

B.C.-funded newcomer services (BC Newcomer Services Program). If you cannot use the federal services, look at this program. Who can use it: temporary workers with a valid work permit; international students at post-secondary institutions who hold a study permit (if their school does not provide these services itself); provincial nominees waiting for a decision on permanent residence; naturalized Canadian citizens; Ukrainians holding a CUAET visa; and refugee claimants (who can also use more services through the BC Safe Haven program). What they can help with: an introduction to life in B.C., practising English, connecting with the community, schools and health care, finding work, and counselling when something urgent happens. Services can be in person or online, and can fit your schedule and language.

Two agencies in the Victoria area (from WelcomeBC's list of August 24, 2026):

IRCC's newcomer services page reminds you to call or email first to check that they provide the service you want, before you go in person. These agencies help you settle in and find services; for specific immigration law questions, such as how to reply to an IRCC letter or whether you can apply to a certain program, ask a lawyer or the legal aid services below.

Legal Aid BC. If you may be removed from Canada, or you want to claim refugee protection, you may qualify for a free lawyer; people in detention can get free legal advice about procedures and their rights.

• Phone numbers to apply for legal aid: 604-408-2172 in Greater Vancouver, 1-866-577-2525 elsewhere in B.C. Hours (Pacific Time): Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You can also apply online or go to a legal aid office.
• When your call connects, you will first hear a recorded message, which is also available in Cantonese and Mandarin; the person who answers speaks English, and if you tell them which language you speak, they will arrange a phone interpreter right away, in more than 100 languages.

Immigration & Refugee Legal Clinic. Legal Aid BC's list of resources says that this clinic provides free legal advice and representation to low-income people across B.C., mainly helping with immigration and refugee problems that traditional legal aid does not cover or finds hard to handle. Phone 778-372-6583, WhatsApp 778-222-7568, email info@irlc.ca.

Finding a lawyer. The Law Society of British Columbia cannot recommend a specific lawyer and does not give legal advice; its "Finding a lawyer" page lists outside resources, including Access Pro Bono (free legal services) and legal aid. The Federal Court's page also lists links to lawyer referral and free legal services.

If your family are not yet citizens and your child is charged with a crime. A permanent resident or foreign national cannot be found inadmissible on grounds of "serious criminality" or "criminality" because of an offence for which a youth sentence was imposed; if an adult sentence was imposed, it does not fall within this exception. A person cannot become a citizen while on probation, on parole or serving a sentence, or while charged with an indictable offence, and the Citizenship Act does not set out a specific exception for youth cases. Once your child is charged, see a lawyer as soon as possible and tell the lawyer about your child's immigration status. See section 13 of Guide No. 70.

→ No. 70 · Bill C-14 and youth crime

Related: for what to do first in your first three months after landing, see Guide No. 2, First 90 days.

8. If you want to work in this field: what licensed consultants need to study and which exams they take

This section is for readers who want to become licensed consultants. We could not read the CICC website this time, so the CICC's own exam fees, exam dates, registration deadlines, the time limits and documents for applying for a licence after passing the exam, and the fees for its mentorship program for new licensees were not checked and are not included here; before you register, be sure to check the latest information under "Become Licensed" on the CICC website. What follows was checked on the schools' websites, the CBIE website, and the CICC's own candidate guides (PDF).

The RCIC (immigration consultant) path

First, complete a graduate diploma recognized by the CICC. There are currently two schools:

More about Queen's University:

• For September 2027 entry: applications open November 1, 2026 and close May 1, 2027, with all documents due by May 31, 2027. For January 2028 entry: apply from May 3 to September 15, 2027, with documents due by September 30.
• You must submit transcripts from all your post-secondary studies and two references (one must be a supervisor at work; if you have attended university within the last two years, the other must be an instructor from your most recent studies). Family members, friends, co-workers and classmates cannot be references.
• If you do not have a bachelor's degree or your average is below a B, there are two paths you can try:
  • The Access path: some university courses plus at least 5 years of relevant work experience (for example, as a paralegal, in community legal work or in the immigration field). When you apply, explain what limited your earlier studies, and send a detailed resume showing at least 5 years of relevant work experience to immigrationdiploma@queensu.ca; the university may also ask you for an interview.
  • The Academic Qualifying path: you have a degree but your average is below a B. You receive a conditional offer, and must first take two more university courses in the humanities, law or social sciences and get an A in each one; only after meeting the conditions can you start the program.
• The university states that completing the diploma is only one of the requirements for taking the CICC entry-to-practice exam and does not guarantee that you will be able to register for it; you do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to take the entry-to-practice exam.

Then take the CICC's Entry-to-Practice Exam (EPE). According to the CICC's RCIC candidate guide (April 2022 version):

• 135 multiple-choice questions, both stand-alone and case-based; 10 of them are pilot questions that are not scored;
• 3 hours, closed book;
• you can take it up to 4 times, and you must complete all attempts within 3 years after finishing the diploma.

The guide is the 2022 version; we could not read the CICC's current exam information page, so whether anything has changed was not checked.

Representing clients before the IRB requires a special licence. The IRB states that since July 1, 2023, CICC consultants must hold a specific licence class to represent clients before the IRB. The CICC's policy page about this licence could not be read this time, so how to get it was not checked.

The RISIA (international student immigration advisor at a school) path

First, take the CBIE's ISIEP course. The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) offers the International Students and Immigration Education Program:

• A 15-week online course that takes an average of 25 to 30 hours a week; live lectures are usually on Thursday evenings (7 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time; in B.C. time, that is 4 to 6:30 p.m. until Eastern Canada sets its clocks back in early November, and 5 to 7:30 p.m. after that), and all of them are recorded.
• Who can register: people currently employed by a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI) whose work involves dealing with international students (private consulting firms and agents for schools do not count; all primary and secondary schools in Canada are DLIs). When you register, you submit an employment letter from your DLI employer issued within the last few days or weeks: it must be on school letterhead, signed by a supervisor or human resources, and describe the work you do with international students.
• If you are not in an eligible DLI position, you can still register after completing CBIE's two online prerequisite courses (Fundamentals of International Education in Canada and Internationalization in Action) and submitting your certificates of completion.
• Fees: $4,175 for CBIE members, $5,350 for non-members; to get the member rate, your DLI employer must be a CBIE member when you register and for the whole course. CBIE has no scholarships, and student financial aid cannot be used.
• Registration for the fall 2026 session has closed; the next session is in fall 2027, from mid-August to the end of November, with registration opening in May 2027.
• CBIE reminds you that the ISIEP registration requirements are different from the CICC's requirements for a RISIA licence, and may change at any time.

Then take the CICC's RISIA entry-to-practice exam. According to the CICC's RISIA candidate guide (April 2023 version): 125 multiple-choice questions (stand-alone and case-based), 3 hours, closed book; you can take it up to 4 times, and must complete all attempts within 3 years after finishing the course. The exam dates, fees and deadlines were not checked.

The licence is tied to the school. CBIE states that a RISIA licence is valid only while the person is employed by a DLI and doing advising work recognized by the CICC; it cannot be used to take on clients independently or to act as an agent for several schools.

To handle Quebec immigration applications, you also need Quebec's recognition

The conditions listed by Quebec's MIFI (summary): you or your employer has a place of business in Quebec registered in the Quebec enterprise register; you hold a valid CICC licence; your French is at level 7 on Quebec's French proficiency scale for adult immigrants, shown with a French test recognized by MIFI; you pass an exam on Quebec immigration rules within 12 months after submitting your application for recognition; in the past 5 years, you have not given MIFI false or misleading information, have not failed to submit required documents, and have not been convicted of a crime related to your work as a consultant; you have not been subject to professional discipline; and other conditions. Since January 1, 2026, the processing fee for an application for recognition has been $1,945; it is adjusted every January 1 and is not refunded if the application is refused. If you only deal with federal immigration in B.C., this does not apply to you.

9. Where this guide does not reach a conclusion

• We could not read the CICC website this time. So none of the following was checked, and no figures for them are given in the guide: what each class in the register's "licence class" (Licence Type) column allows; what wording in the register such as "Active – Practice Restricted" means; the application fees, exam fees and rewrite fees for the RCIC and RISIA entry-to-practice exams, and the next exam dates and registration deadlines; how many days after passing the exam you have to apply for a licence and which documents you need (such as a police certificate); the length and fees of the mentorship program for new licensees; the requirements for annual licence renewal and continuing professional development; and the exact steps for complaining to the CICC about a consultant.
• The CICC's two candidate guides are the 2022 and 2023 versions; whether there are newer versions was not checked.
• For Université de Montréal's fees, the university's page still shows estimates for the 2025–2026 academic year.
• IRCC's list of violators is only described as "expected in 2027", with no specific date.
• How to find out who is recorded as the representative on your file: IRCC has no dedicated lookup page; this guide describes the official way, which is to request a copy of your file under the Privacy Act.

10. Checklist before you act

• Is the person charging you a CICC licensed consultant, a lawyer (or, in Ontario, a licensed paralegal) or a Quebec notary? A notary in B.C. cannot do this.
• Get their CICC number or law society membership number and check the register yourself: a valid licence, entitled to practise, and any disciplinary record.
• Contact the person using the phone number and email listed in the register, and confirm that the person who sent you the contract is really them.
• Sign a written contract that lists all services and the total fee.
• If anyone coaches you to lie, guarantees approval or says there is no need to report their information, stop right away.
• After you hire a representative, regularly ask to see the original letters from IRCC.
• If you find a problem: keep the evidence first; submit a new IMM 5476 to remove them; explain the situation using IRCC's online form; complain to the CICC or the law society; call the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060; if you were cheated out of money, report it to the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
• If your representative will not give you a copy, ask IRCC for your own file for free under the Privacy Act.
• If you are not sure, start with free legal aid or a newcomer services agency.

Related guides

• → No. 34 · Protecting your credit
  If your ID is lost or your information may have reached a scammer: how to check your two credit reports for free (section 2) and add a fraud alert (section 3); how to recognize common scams, including calls pretending to be from the immigration department (section 10); and what to do step by step depending on what has happened (section 11). From August 2027, B.C. residents can also freeze their credit for free.
• → No. 2 · First 90 days
  What to do, in order, in your first three months: in the first week, basics such as your SIN, MSP health coverage and a bank account; in the first month, driving, your children's schooling and daily life; and within the first three months, benefits, your CRA online account and free settlement services.
• → No. 65 · Becoming an apprentice in B.C.
  Before using trades experience for immigration, keep three things apart: being allowed to work as an apprentice, being able to get support, and qualifying to immigrate later are handled by different organizations; if someone promises a guaranteed job, Red Seal, work permit or immigration, ask for proof you can verify.
• → No. 69 · What real estate agents earn in B.C.
  Check the licence before you hire a real estate agent too: the BCFSA's Find a Professional search shows the licence category, any conditions and recent discipline; real estate boards and CREA are industry associations and do not issue licences (sections 10 and 14).
• → No. 70 · Bill C-14 and youth crime
  If your child has a criminal case and your family are not yet citizens: an offence with a youth sentence cannot be the basis for inadmissibility on grounds of "serious criminality" or "criminality", but an offence with an adult sentence does not fall within this exception; no citizenship while on probation, serving a sentence or charged with an indictable offence (section 13); and how to find a free lawyer in B.C.

Main official links in this guide

These are all the official web pages used in this guide, sorted into groups by organization; the end of each section also lists the ones for that section. The pages of IRCC, the Canada Gazette, the Orders in Council, the text of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act on the federal Justice Laws website, the CICC Public Register, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), the Federal Court, the CBSA, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the Victoria Police Department, the Government of B.C., WelcomeBC, Legal Aid BC, Queen's University, Université de Montréal, CBIE and the Government of Quebec were all opened and read on November 4, 2026. None of the web pages on the CICC's main website could be read this time (the two candidate guides in PDF on the same website could be read), so the links marked "could not be read this time" were not read in the original. For the CICC College Portal, only the login page could be read; the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's online reporting system is listed as linked from its reporting page. The IMM 5476 form itself was not opened; section 6 is based on the instructions on IRCC's web page.

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)

Laws and the Canada Gazette

Checking licences and making complaints

Reporting

Free help

Becoming a consultant

Quebec

Other