How to verify your immigration consultant before the new rules take effect

On May 6, IRCC announced new regulations that strengthen oversight of immigration and citizenship consultants in Canada. Most of the rules take effect on July 15, 2026. If you have hired a consultant, or are about to, here is what to verify on your representative today, before the new rules apply.

The regulations do not change who qualifies for a visa, permit, or permanent residence. They change how consultants are watched, disciplined, and made transparent. The main practical effects are stronger penalties for misconduct, expanded reporting requirements for the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, and the launch of a compensation fund for clients who lose money due to dishonest acts by a licensed consultant.

Anyone who charges you for immigration advice in Canada must be authorized. The only valid authorizations are three: a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor licensed by the CICC, a lawyer in good standing with a provincial or territorial law society, or in Quebec, a notary. Anything else is unauthorized representation. To verify your consultant, go to the CICC public register at college-ic.ca and search by name or license number. The register shows current standing and any disciplinary history.

If your representative discourages you from contacting IRCC directly, refuses to share copies of what was filed on your behalf, will not show you their license number, or pressures you to pay through informal channels, treat these as warning signs. The compensation fund being launched in July covers financial loss caused by dishonest acts committed by licensed consultants on or after November 23, 2021. It does not cover work done by unauthorized representatives who were never licensed. If your consultant is not on the public register, you have no protection regardless of what happens next.

If something feels wrong with your file, do not wait. Save your service agreement, receipts, emails, WhatsApp messages, portal screenshots, IRCC letters, and proof of payment. Confirm what was actually submitted to IRCC. If you suspect misconduct, file a formal complaint through the CICC. The new fund will only consider claims where the discipline committee issues a final decision on or after July 15, 2026, and where the victim was not complicit.