Don’t be the victim of a disappearing act

If you use an unauthorized representative, they could take your money and your application may be refused.

Go to Canada.ca/immigration-representative to confirm if your representative is authorized.

Use an authorized immigration representative

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada approves hundreds of thousands of immigration and citizenship applications every year.

Although it is not mandatory, many applicants choose to use a representative to assist them with their application.

Immigration representatives give immigration advice and help to visa applicants, usually for a fee. They can be:

  • immigration consultants,
  • lawyers,
  • Quebec notaries, or
  • paralegals regulated by a law society.

If you choose to use an immigration representative, you’ll need to remember a few things:

  • Make sure your representative is “authorized” to represent you.
  • All the forms and information that you need are available, free of charge, at Canada.ca.
  • The Government of Canada will never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account or ask you to transfer money through a private money transfer company.
  • Authorized representatives are members in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), immigration lawyers or paralegals belonging to a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or notaries belonging to the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

The CICC is the national regulatory authority designated by the Government of Canada to safeguard individuals who seek and retain the services of Canadian immigration consultants.

Useful tips, information, and forms to help you choose a representative can be found online at Canada.ca/immigration-representative.

Remember, using a representative will not get your application special attention and no one can guarantee it will be approved. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

You are responsible for the contents of your immigration or citizenship application at all times. It is up to you to make sure all the information in your application is true and correct. It is against the law to give false or misleading information to IRCC.

If you have a complaint about your representative, there are ways to get help. Visit Canada.ca/immigration-representative for options and advice.

IRCC will not deal with unauthorized immigration representatives.

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