Refusals and complex cases
How to check that an immigration consultant is authorized, and spot the fakes
CICC register, law societies, Quebec notaries and, in Quebec, MIFI recognition: a five-minute check before you hire anyone for your immigration file.
Fake immigration consultants are a real problem in Canada, and they are good at looking legitimate: polished websites, busy social media accounts, testimonials, sometimes even a real consultant's name and number borrowed without permission. The good news is that checking someone takes a few minutes, using public registers. Here is how.
Who can charge you for immigration help
For applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), anyone you pay to advise or represent you must be one of the following:
- a consultant in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC);
- a lawyer in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or, in Ontario only, a paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario;
- a notary in good standing with the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
Friends and relatives can help you for free, but they cannot charge for it. IRCC warns that applications involving an unauthorized paid representative may be returned or refused. And remember that you never need a representative: you can apply on your own.
In Quebec, check two registers
To work as an immigration consultant in Quebec, a CICC licence is not enough. The consultant must also be recognized by Quebec's immigration ministry (MIFI) and listed in the Quebec register of immigration consultants, which you can search by name on quebec.ca. Recognition is renewed every two years, and the ministry also publishes suspended and revoked recognitions. Lawyers and notaries are not in that register; check them with the Barreau du Québec or the Chambre des notaires.
As an example of what you should be able to verify: at Visa Canada Rouge, Moadh Rahmaoui is listed on the CICC public register (licence R534941) and recognized by MIFI (number 12182). Check those numbers, and ask the same of anyone you consider hiring.
A five-minute check
- Get the full name and licence number of the person who will actually handle your file, not just the company name.
- Search the CICC public register and compare name, number, status and contact details.
- For a Quebec file, search the Quebec register and confirm the recognition is valid.
- Compare contact details. If the email or phone number you are dealing with differs from the register, someone may be impersonating a real consultant.
- Look for restrictions or disciplinary measures on the public record.
Red flags
- A guaranteed approval or a guaranteed job. No one can guarantee a decision, and regulated consultants are not allowed to promise one.
- Claims of special access to officers or faster processing.
- Reluctance to give a licence number.
- Advice to leave out a fact or "adjust" information. Misrepresentation can have serious, lasting consequences for you, not for them.
- Pressure to pay quickly, in cash or by untraceable transfer, or to sign blank forms.
- No written agreement, or one that does not say who does what.
What a proper agreement looks like
A written service agreement should name the responsible professional, list what is and is not included, state the fees and payment schedule, and explain what happens if either side ends the mandate. It should also be clear who prepares forms, who reviews documents and who communicates with IRCC or MIFI. Keep copies of everything you sign and send.
Already signed and worried?
Ask in writing for a complete copy of your file and a summary of what has been submitted. Check with IRCC or MIFI which representative is on record for your application. To change representatives, follow the official process. If someone had access to your online accounts, change your passwords. Professional misconduct can be reported to the regulator of the profession the person claims.
If your file already has a refusal or complications, our complex cases page explains how we take over a file.
Frequently asked questions
Can a CICC consultant from another province handle my Quebec file?
To act as an immigration consultant in Quebec, they must also be recognized by MIFI and listed in the Quebec register. Check both.
Do I need a consultant to apply?
No. You can always apply on your own. A regulated professional can help you understand your options and prepare a consistent file, but using one is your choice.
The person I hired is not in the register. What now?
Stop sending documents and money, keep every record of your exchanges, check who is listed as your representative with IRCC or MIFI, and report the situation to the relevant regulator.
Official sources
Official pages consulted on October 11, 2026:
- IRCC — Find out if your representative is authorized
- Québec — Get represented in your immigration procedures
More in this series
- Refused by IRCC? How to read the officer's decision note before you reapply
- Criminal inadmissibility to Canada: why the record and the circumstances matter
- Humanitarian and compassionate applications in Canada: who can apply, and when it makes sense
- Received an IRCC procedural fairness letter? How to structure your response
- Medical inadmissibility to Canada: the questions IRCC actually asks
- Misrepresentation in a Canadian immigration application: what counts, and the five-year ban
About this guide
Written for Visa Canada Rouge, a Montreal immigration consultancy led by Moadh Rahmaoui, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB, licence R534941, listed on the public register of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants).
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration requirements, fees and processing times change often: check them on the official websites (canada.ca, quebec.ca) when you apply. No outcome can be guaranteed.
Every file is different.
This guide covers the general rules. To find out what applies to you, talk to a regulated consultant.