Ottawa sets $5,000 to $1.5 million fines for bogus immigration advice
Authorized representatives include lawyers, Quebec notaries and licensed consultants, and knowingly giving false paid advice carries a minimum fine of $15,000.
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The federal Immigration Department has introduced new fines of $5,000 to $1.5 million for people who give bogus or unlicensed immigration and citizenship advice, the department announced.
The fines apply to giving paid immigration advice, or acting as a paid representative on an application, without authorization. Authorized representatives are members in good standing of a provincial or territorial law society, which includes lawyers and some paralegals, members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. The minimum fine for that is $5,000. Anyone who knowingly gives false or misleading advice faces a minimum fine of $15,000.
Fines are higher where an application was approved on the basis of false advice, and higher again for repeat offences. The department says it will establish a registry of those fined in 2027.
The announcement says the penalties are meant to protect applicants from fraud and exploitation.
Separately, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has fined unlicensed consultant Jaskaran Jit Singh as part of a 2025 crackdown. In total, individuals and entities have been penalized under the Ontario Immigration Act for providing false or misleading information.
Correction, Oct. 29, 2026: An earlier version said only lawyers and College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants members may give immigration advice. Provincial and territorial law society members, including some paralegals, and members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec are also authorized. The story has also been updated to say the rules apply to paid representation.
