Only three kinds of people can charge you for Canadian immigration help: consultants licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), lawyers and Québec notaries who belong to a law society or the Chambre des notaires, and paralegals in Ontario. To check a consultant, get their licence number, which starts with R. Find them on the CICC public register and make sure the record says Active and entitled to practise.
Look someone up
Is this consultant licensed?
Search our copy of the CICC register by name or licence number. It lists only consultants who were active and entitled to practise when we last checked.
Our copy is refreshed from the public register regularly. The official register is always the final word.
Three kinds of people can take your money. Nobody else.
Canada lets you apply on your own, or with free help from a friend, relative or community organization. The moment someone is paid, in money or any other way, they must be authorized.
Licensed consultants
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), licensed by the CICC.
Check: CICC public registerLawyers & Québec notaries
Members of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or of the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
Check: that law society’s member directoryParalegals
In Ontario only, members of the Law Society of Ontario.
Check: the Law Society of Ontario directoryA “visa agent”, “education agent” or “immigration expert” who is none of these cannot charge you for Canadian immigration advice, wherever they are based. People in this position are often called ghost consultants.
Using an unauthorized paid helper can sink your application. IRCC says that if you choose a paid representative who isn’t authorized, it may return or refuse your application.
A licensed consultant doesn’t get your file processed faster. Good ones save you from mistakes, missing documents and choosing the wrong program. That’s the reason to hire one.
Check anyone in four steps
Get their full name and licence number, in writing
A licensed consultant will give you their CICC licence number (an R followed by digits) without hesitation. It should also appear on their website, emails and agreement.
Search the official register yourself
Go to the CICC public register and search by last name or College ID. Don’t rely on a screenshot or a link they send you.
Read the record
The status must be Active and the licensee must be entitled to practise. Note their class: only L3 (RCIC-IRB) can represent you at the Immigration and Refugee Board. Section 04 explains every field.
Make sure it’s the same person
Compare the name, firm and city with who you’re actually dealing with. The person giving advice and signing your forms should be the licensee, not an assistant or an overseas “partner” using their number. When they represent you, they’re named on IRCC’s Use of a Representative form (IMM 5476) with their licence number.
For a lawyer or paralegal: search the member directory of their provincial or territorial law society instead. canada.ca links to every one.
What the register record tells you
The licence class: what they may do
Every consultant record shows a class. These are the labels as they appear on the register:
| Register label | Who | Immigration & citizenship applications | Immigration and Refugee Board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class L1 · RCIC | Consultant, typically newer to the profession | Yes | No |
| Class L2 · RCIC | Consultant | Yes | No |
| Class L3 · RCIC-IRB | Consultant also licensed for the IRB | Yes | Yes |
| Class L4/L5 · RISIA | International student advisor, usually at a school | Study-related matters only | No |
When the class matters: refugee claims, immigration appeals (for example a refused spousal sponsorship appeal) and admissibility hearings happen at the Immigration and Refugee Board. For those you need an L3 consultant or a lawyer.
The status: can they work for you today?
Licensed and in good standing. Also check entitled to practise.
Can’t provide paid services while suspended, whatever the reason.
Not practising for now. Someone else must handle your file.
No longer licensed.
Licence taken away. Don’t hire them.
A record can show past statuses too. A suspension in someone’s history isn’t automatically a scandal, since suspensions also happen for administrative reasons. But if one appears, ask about it. The register also shows any disciplinary action.
Has any of this happened to you?
Tick what applies. Each one on its own is a reason to stop and check.
Tick anything that has happened. Nothing ticked yet.
What to do if someone isn’t who they said
They aren’t licensed at all
Remove them from your file straight away. IRCC doesn’t deal with unauthorized paid representatives. Tell IRCC through its fraud reporting web form; you can also notify the Canada Border Services Agency. Then get your documents and logins back.
They’re licensed, but something went wrong
File a complaint with the CICC for a consultant, or with the law society for a lawyer or paralegal. Keep your agreement, receipts, emails and messages.
You lost money to a licensed consultant’s dishonesty
Since 15 July 2026, new regulations let the CICC run a compensation fund for clients who lost money through a consultant’s dishonest acts. The fund covers dishonest acts on or after 23 November 2021, for people who were the consultant’s clients and took no part in the act. Start with a complaint to the CICC; its process decides the claim.
Questions people ask
Do I have to use a consultant or a lawyer?
No. You can apply yourself, or get free help from family, friends or a community organization. Paid help has to be authorized.
Will a licensed consultant get my application processed faster?
No. IRCC says a representative won’t draw special attention to your application or guarantee approval. What they can do is help you choose the right program and avoid mistakes that lead to refusals.
The person helping me is overseas. Can they charge me?
Only if they are authorized: a CICC licensee, or a member of a Canadian law society, the Chambre des notaires, or (Ontario paralegals) the Law Society of Ontario. Where they are based doesn’t change that.
What does L3 mean, and do I need it?
L3 (RCIC-IRB) consultants can also represent you at the Immigration and Refugee Board: refugee claims, appeals and admissibility hearings. For other applications, an L1 or L2 consultant can help.
Is FindMyConsultant the official register?
No. We keep a copy of the CICC public register to help you compare consultants and get in touch. The CICC register is the official record, and every profile on our site links to it.
Sources
- Check if your representative is authorized, canada.ca (modified 2026-06-04)
- Choose a representative, canada.ca (modified 2026-08-18)
- File a complaint against a representative, canada.ca (modified 2026-05-11)
- Canada strengthens regulation of immigration and citizenship consultants, canada.ca news (2026-05-06)
- CICC public register (class and status labels as shown on the register)
- College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Regulations, SOR/2026-68, Justice Laws (compensation fund, sections 1, 4 and 5)
- FindMyConsultant’s copy of the CICC public register, checked 30 September 2026 (counts)