Unauthorized individuals often seize opportunities to take advantage of potential immigrants to Canada. Unauthorized consultants and lawyers do not have a license to provide assistance on immigration matters, but pass themselves off as legitimate immigration professionals. There are penalties for unauthorized representatives who provide, or offer advice or representation for a fee. It is important to note that irrespective of whom the applicant chooses, all individuals who are providing advice, consultation, or guidance must be declared in the immigration application.
Incompetent or unscrupulous consultants, Ghost Consultants, registered or not, give poor advice, encourage clients to lie, and place them in the wrong immigration stream, either due to lack of knowledge or experience. Such unethical practice jeopardizes a client’s chance of being granted permanent residency. Another problem is of ghost consulting – unregulated consultants who charge for their services but avoid detection by not signing the client’s application paperwork.
The ICCRC has no jurisdiction over non-member consultants, recruiters, and agents who work outside Canada. This means that a lot of unregulated practices that happen in India goes unpunished. If foreign nationals are aware that all representatives, paid or unpaid, must be declared in an application, then hopefully, fraud will be reduced. The harsh reality is that not many foreign nationals are aware of this. It is also important to note that an applicant can use only one representative according to the IRCC policy. They must also sign the representation form (IMM5476e). Hence every potential immigrant must be careful in who they choose to be their representative as the Immigration industry is turning into one scam.
Verify the RCIC# on the Canadian official portal: https://iccrc-crcic.ca/find-a-professional/