Choosing the right person to handle your Canadian immigration case is one of the most important decisions you will make. Get it right and you have a knowledgeable professional protecting your file. Get it wrong and you can lose thousands of dollars, receive a refusal, or even be banned for misrepresentation you never knew was happening. Unlicensed agents operate in every immigrant community, and they can sound very convincing. Here are five clear ways to spot a fake, and how to make sure the person you hire is the real thing.
Get honest, accountable answers from a licensed RCIC. $100 CAD · 45 min · Zoom or phone
Book Your ConsultationThe first and most important sign is that the person is not licensed. In Canada, only a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), or a lawyer in good standing with a provincial law society, may give immigration advice or represent you for a fee. If your agent cannot give you a licence number you can verify on the public CICC register, that is a red flag you cannot ignore. The second sign is the impossible promise. No honest professional can guarantee approval, guarantee a visa, or promise a specific processing time, because those decisions belong to the government, not the consultant. Anyone who guarantees results is either misinformed or dishonest, and both are dangerous with your future on the line.
The third sign is the most serious of all: an agent who tells you to lie on your forms, invent a job offer, hide a previous refusal, or submit fake documents. Misrepresentation can lead to a refusal and a multi-year ban from Canada, and you are the one who carries that consequence, not the agent who suggested it. Walk away immediately. The fourth sign is the absence of a paper trail. A real professional gives you a written retainer agreement, clear fees, official receipts, and advice you can see in writing. If someone wants cash only, refuses a contract, or keeps everything verbal so there is no record, you have no protection when things go wrong.
The fifth sign is pressure and disappearance: an agent who rushes you to pay today, then becomes impossible to reach once the money has changed hands. To protect yourself, do three simple things. First, confirm the consultant is a licensed RCIC by checking their number on the public CICC register before you pay anything. Second, ask for a written retainer that lists the services and the fee. Third, make sure every piece of advice and every form is something you can read and keep a copy of. A licensed RCIC is registered, insured, bound by a code of conduct, and accountable to a regulator. That accountability is exactly what an unlicensed agent can never offer.
You deserve to work with someone who is licensed, transparent, and genuinely on your side. Alisa Osipovich is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB, R1055424) in good standing. In a consultation she will review your case honestly, explain which programs realistically fit you, and give you a clear written plan, with no false promises and no pressure. If you are not sure whether the person advising you is legitimate, book a consultation and get straight, accountable answers first.
Ask for their RCIC number and look it up on the public register of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). A genuine consultant will give you the number without hesitation. Lawyers can be verified through their provincial law society.
It is illegal in Canada for an unlicensed person to give immigration advice or represent you for a fee. Using one puts your application and your future at risk, because bad advice or misrepresentation falls on you, not on the agent.
You get an honest review of your eligibility, a clear explanation of which programs fit you, and a written plan for your next steps, for $100 CAD over 45 minutes by Zoom or phone.