Since October 28, 2026, IRCC can fine people who charge for immigration help without a licence or who help falsify files, and publish their names.
On October 28, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it can now impose monetary penalties on people who are paid for immigration or citizenship advice or representation and break the rules. This is a rule change in force, not a proposal: penalties start at $5,000 for working without authorization and $15,000 for knowingly helping with false or misleading information, and repeat violations can reach $1.5 million in total. IRCC will also publish the names of those penalized. The final regulations are due to appear in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on November 4, 2026.
What changed
According to IRCC's announcement and its new guidance page, a penalty is built from a baseline amount for the violation, plus an added amount if the violation caused an error in how the law was applied (for example, an application approved on false information), plus any money the person received for it. The total is then multiplied by a factor that rises with past violations.
| Violation (paid advice or representation only) | Baseline penalty |
|---|---|
| Giving advice or representation without being authorized | $5,000 |
| Knowingly submitting, or helping or advising someone to submit, false or misleading information | $15,000 (plus $15,000 if it caused an error) |
| Refusing to produce documents during an IRCC inspection | $10,000 |
| Maximum for all violations in one notice | $1.5 million, plus any money received |
Who is affected
The rules apply to anyone who is paid or otherwise compensated for immigration or citizenship advice or representation, inside or outside Canada. That includes licensed consultants and lawyers who break the rules, and unlicensed “agents” who charge for help they are not allowed to give. IRCC will publish each penalized person's name, business, the type of violation, the amount and whether it was paid; a searchable online registry is expected in 2027. A person who receives a notice of violation has 30 days to request a review.
Who can legally charge you for immigration help
IRCC's list of authorized paid representatives is short. Anyone else who charges for advice on your file is not authorized, whatever their title or website says.
- Immigration and citizenship consultants licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC)
- Lawyers who are members of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, and notaries of the Chambre des notaires du Québec
- Paralegals licensed by the Law Society of Ontario (Ontario only)
Why you should not trust or hire unlicensed individuals
The new rules make the risks of hiring someone who is not on that list easier to see. Based on IRCC's announcement and guidance, here is why you should not hire an unlicensed individual:
- 1. They are not authorized to charge you. IRCC allows only CICC-licensed consultants, law society lawyers, Chambre des notaires du Québec notaries and Law Society of Ontario paralegals to give paid advice or representation. Anyone else who charges is working without authorization, whatever their title or website says.
- 2. They can now be fined. Working without authorization carries a baseline penalty of $5,000, and repeat violations can reach $1.5 million. A person facing penalties like these may not be a reliable partner for your file.
- 3. They may put false information in your file. Knowingly submitting, or helping someone submit, false or misleading information carries a baseline penalty of $15,000. You are the one whose name is on the application.
- 4. Your application is still judged on what was submitted. The penalties do not protect an applicant whose file contains false information. If a representative gets it wrong, the consequences for your application remain with you.
- 5. Their name may be made public. IRCC will publish the names of those penalized, and a searchable registry is expected in 2027. Your money and your file should not depend on someone who may end up on it.
- 6. There is no licence to check. A licensed professional has a licence number you can look up on a public register. If you cannot verify who you are paying, you cannot check their standing or know where to complain.
- 7. Promises of certain results are a warning sign. No one can guarantee a visa, permanent residence or a processing time. A person who does is not giving you honest advice.
What it does not change
Free help is not covered: the penalties apply only when someone is paid. A friend or relative who helps without payment is not penalized under these rules. The penalties also do not replace criminal enforcement, which IRCC says remains with the CBSA and the RCMP, and they do not protect an applicant whose file contains false information. Your application is still judged on what was submitted.
What to do next
Before you pay anyone, check their licence yourself. IRCC links to the CICC public register and to law society directories; a real licence number should match a name you can look up. ITC iLand's principal, Ramin Asadi, is an RCIC licensed by CICC (licence R407111), and you can confirm that on the CICC register. Mahmood-Babak Yaltaghian is also part of the ITC iLand team. If someone promises a certain result or asks you to sign forms you have not read, stop and get a second opinion. If you want a licensed professional to review your situation, book a consultation with ITC iLand, or start with the free eligibility assessment to see which options may fit your profile.
IRCC's guidance page lists the penalty rules, the review process and how to file a complaint against a representative. Processing times and outcomes are never guaranteed, by us or anyone else. Source: IRCC news release, October 28, 2026, and IRCC's page on breaking the rules when giving advice or representation, both checked October 29, 2026.
