On May 6, 2026, Canada announced a landmark regulatory overhaul for immigration and citizenship consultants. This move comes after growing concerns about ghost consultants, fraudulent advisors, and unregistered representatives who have exploited thousands of immigrants seeking a better life in Canada.

The new regulations empower the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) — Canada's governing body for registered immigration consultants — with significantly stronger tools to regulate, monitor, discipline, and remove consultants who fail to meet professional standards.

For years, ghost consultants — individuals who pose as legitimate immigration advisors without any registration or credentials — have taken advantage of newcomers. They charge large fees, submit fraudulent or incorrect applications, and disappear, leaving applicants with rejected files, financial losses, and in some cases, removal orders.

These new regulations directly target this problem by making it significantly harder for unregistered individuals to operate and by giving the CICC the power to act swiftly and decisively against those who break the rules.