Immigration fraud: warning signs and how to check

Why applicants are targeted

IRCC states that fraudsters use artificial intelligence, social media, websites, emails and phone calls to target applicants. The page notably mentions fraud targeting newcomers, fraud targeting international students applying for a study permit, and fraud related to sponsoring a spouse.

Quebec describes concrete cases: fake immigration websites or portals that ask for payments or personal information, fake people posing as government representatives, fake offers of services, fake work contracts or fake study permits, false information spread on social media and in groups (sometimes by influencers), and fake job offers promising a quick work permit, scholarships or student loans.

The warning signs

Be wary of any person or organization that guarantees your application will be approved: according to Quebec, none can. Be wary too of a request for payment for a guaranteed entry, a job, faster processing or access to forms or a platform: the ministry only charges a fee for processing the application.

Other signs should alert you: a payment requested to a personal bank account, through a private money-transfer service, prepaid cards or cryptocurrency; unsolicited messages or exchanges through consumer email; a request to enter your file number on a website; fees that do not match those posted online by the government; a person who changes your statements or has you sign a blank or partly filled-in form.

Checking a website and protecting your access

For Quebec government services, check that the address exactly matches the one you typed, that it contains "www.quebec.ca" or ".gouv.qc.ca", and that it starts with "https://" with a padlock. Keep your browser up to date, never share your usernames and passwords, and always keep access to your own online account.

Do not provide personal information on unsecured sites or on social media, and read all declarations before submitting them. If you doubt a ministry website, contact its contact center.

Who can legally represent you

If you use a paid representative, they must be authorized to represent or advise you. According to IRCC, these are consultants, lawyers and Quebec notaries. The Quebec government specifies that only the following people may offer immigration advice and assistance: lawyers who are members of the Barreau du Québec, notaries who are members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, immigration consultants recognized by the ministry and people holding a special authorization from the Barreau or the Chambre des notaires.

Require proof of identity and of legal existence and check them with the regulatory bodies. Refuse to pay someone who is not registered with the consultants' register, the Barreau or the Chambre des notaires, and be careful if the file is handled remotely without a verified first contact.

You remain responsible for your file

Quebec reminds applicants that you are responsible for all the information in your application, even if a representative fills it in. False or misleading information or documents can lead to your application and your other pending applications being rejected, a refusal to examine any application for five years (for you and the people included) and a fine of up to $25,000. IRCC, for its part, stresses that false documents, lying in an application or cheating on a citizenship test have serious consequences.

What to do if you have been a victim

Quebec invites you to use the complaint form available on Québec.ca and to file a complaint with your local police. IRCC devotes a section to reporting fraud, which also covers abuse and human trafficking. Keep messages, receipts and proof of payment: they will support your report.

Our position

Odyssée Canada is an independent information website: we are neither a government body nor an immigration consulting firm, we do not process any immigration file and we guarantee no result. If you are looking for support, our Consultants page explains how to check that a consultant is regulated before entrusting your file to them.