Canada's New Penalties for Immigration Representatives Take Effect: $5,000 for Unauthorized Advice, Up to $1.5 Million Combined
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced in Ottawa on October 28 that new monetary penalties are now in force for those who break the law when providing paid immigration or citizenship advice or representation, with combined penalties of up to $1.5 million, to protect applicants from fraud and exploitation.
The rules apply to paid representatives, including licensed immigration consultants, lawyers and other authorized representatives, as well as people who provide such advice or representation without authorization, regardless of where they are located. The government can now impose $5,000 for providing paid advice or representation without authorization, and $15,000 for knowingly providing false or misleading information on an applicant's behalf or helping an applicant do so. Additional penalties may apply if an application is approved based on false or misleading information, and penalties increase for repeat violations, up to a maximum of $1.5 million for all violations combined.
'Anyone hoping to build a future in Canada deserves access to trustworthy and accurate immigration and citizenship advice. These new measures will help protect people from fraud and misconduct and hold those who break the law accountable,' said Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. As penalties are issued, IRCC will publish the names of those penalized and the details of their violations on its website, with an online registry expected to launch in 2027, following the first penalties.
Related: Canada Scraps 90-Day Cap on Work Permits Awaiting LMIA Decisions, Effective October 28
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 加拿大渥太华国会山庄中央大楼。Shankar S. 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Centre Block of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. Photo by Shankar S., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
