How to Spot Immigration Fraud and Choose a Licensed RCIC
Unlicensed consultants and fraudulent offers cost applicants money and status. Warning signs to watch for and how to verify a representative.
Who can represent you
Only certain people can be paid to give Canadian immigration advice or represent applicants: lawyers and paralegals who are members of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, Quebec notaries, and regulated Canadian immigration consultants (RCICs). You can check an RCIC’s status on the regulator’s public register.
Anyone else who charges for immigration advice or representation is acting outside the rules. Using an unlicensed person can leave you without recourse if something goes wrong, and in some cases the application itself can be harmed.
A worked example
A hypothetical applicant is approached online by someone who promises a guaranteed work permit for a fee paid in cash. She remembers the warning signs: a guarantee, an unusual payment method, and no written agreement. She declines and checks the regulator’s register for licensed consultants instead.
She finds a licensed RCIC, asks about the licence number, and reviews a written service agreement before paying anything. Her caution protects her money and her application. The person who made the offer disappears when she asks for a licence number.
Warning signs
- Guaranteed approval or a promise of a particular result
- A job offer or LMIA for sale
- Requests for payment in cash or through unusual channels
- Pressure to sign quickly or to hide information from the government
- No written agreement or receipt
Questions to ask any representative
- What is your licence number, and where can I verify it?
- What exactly is included in the fee, and what is not?
- Who will actually prepare my application?
- How will you keep me informed, and how often?
Fraud aimed at applicants
Scams often impersonate government officials, offer fake jobs, or sell counterfeit documents. Government agencies enforce against these, and counterfeit document cases have reached the courts, but prevention starts with scepticism.
Government agencies do not ask for payment through gift cards or personal transfers, and official fees are paid through the government’s own channels. If a message demands urgent payment or threatens deportation, stop and verify through official sources.
About this practice
Mahyar Afzali is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, licence R532405. Mahyar cannot guarantee outcomes, and no honest representative can. He will tell you plainly when a pathway is a poor fit.
Questions to bring to your first meeting with any representative
- Can I see your licence and verify it on the public register?
- What is included in the fee, and what costs are extra?
- Will the agreement be in writing, with receipts for every payment?
- What will you do if my application is refused?
- What happens if I want to change or end the agreement?
Quick answers
- Is an RCIC the same as a lawyer? No. They are different regulated professions. Consultants are members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, and lawyers and paralegals are members of a provincial or territorial law society.
- Where do I report a scam or immigration fraud? IRCC says to report scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, report immigration fraud to the Canada Border Services Agency’s Border Watch Line, and report a representative to IRCC and to their regulator.
- Can I represent myself? Yes. You are allowed to apply on your own, and unpaid help from a friend or family member is also allowed. Paid help must come from an authorised representative.
Further guidance
For more background, see refusal support and options for Americans moving to Canada.
Talk it through
Verify any representative on the public register before you pay. Mahyar Afzali is licensed as RCIC R532405, and a free assessment is a low-pressure way to see how the practice works. Nothing about an outcome can be guaranteed.
More on general.
Moving Between Provinces After Landing: What Immigrants Should Know
How Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan Affects Applicants
Labour Market Data and Immigration Opportunity: What Job Statistics Do and Do Not Tell You
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