Don’t Become a Victim of Immigration Fraud

Ottawa, March 13, 2014 — Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today encouraged potential newcomers to use authorized immigration representatives to avoid becoming victims of fraud.

March is Fraud Prevention Month and this year Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has partnered with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (FLSC) to promote awareness of authorized immigration representatives and what services they can provide.

For Fraud Prevention Month 2014, CIC has developed a new video which urges newcomers to avoid becoming the victim of a “disappearing act” and explains where they can obtain information on immigration representatives that are authorized to deal with the Government of Canada.

Unscrupulous and unauthorized representatives weaken Canada’s immigration system, cost taxpayers money, and slow down the processing of valid applications. Under Canadian law, only authorized immigration representatives can charge a fee to help someone apply for a visa to come to Canada. If a newcomer uses an unauthorized representative, their application may be refused and they could risk becoming victims of fraud.

Full details at www.cic.gc.ca