Canada has brought new monetary penalties into force for paid immigration and citizenship representatives who break the rules, with combined violations attracting penalties of up to C$1.5 million, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said. The measures took effect on October 28 and apply to misconduct from that date onward.
Source: Government of Canada — IRCC
Yaani: C$1.5 million is 15 lakh Canadian dollars — the maximum total when several violations are combined in one notice, not the fine for a single first offence.
The baseline penalties are C$5,000 for providing paid advice or representation without authorisation, and C$15,000 for knowingly providing false or misleading information on an applicant's behalf or helping an applicant do so, IRCC said. Additional penalties may apply if an application is approved on the basis of false or misleading information, and amounts rise for repeat violations.
Rules reach agents outside Canada too
The department said the penalties cover licensed consultants, lawyers and other authorised representatives, as well as people who charge for advice without authorisation — and they apply regardless of where the representative is located. That matters for applicants in Punjab and across India, where many families pay overseas agents for Canadian study, work and permanent-residence files.
Source: BizzBuzz
"Anyone hoping to build a future in Canada deserves access to trustworthy and accurate immigration and citizenship advice," Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said in the IRCC statement. "While most people providing paid advice and representation follow the rules, those who do not will face consequences."
Names to be published, registry in 2027
As penalties are issued, IRCC said it will publish the names of those penalised and the details of their violations on its website, and an online registry is expected to launch in 2027, after the first penalties have been administered. The department urged anyone seeking immigration or citizenship advice to check that their representative is authorised before paying for services.
No individual was named as already penalised in Wednesday's announcement. The new system gives Ottawa a direct financial penalty route against so-called ghost consultants, alongside any separate criminal investigation of fraud.