How can I tell if my immigration or refugee legal representative is reliable?

Choosing an immigration or refugee lawyer or representative is very important. Sometimes people who offer legal help are not qualified to do so. They can charge you money without providing the service you hired them for. And sometimes they just take your money.

Immigration and refugee law is very complicated. Some mistakes can cause serious problems. For example, you might not be able to stay in Canada or bring family members here to join you.

Where to get legal help

It's important that you get help from a licensed representative. In Ontario, this means a:

a lawyer or paralegal who is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), or
a Registered Immigration Consultant (RCIC) licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

Check the LSO directory or the CICC registry to make sure the person is licensed and that they do not have any discipline issues, such as a suspension.

Licensed representatives must follow professional rules about being honest and doing a good job. If they break the rules, they can lose their license. Only a licensed representative can legally be paid to represent you.

Learn more about where to find a licensed representative in:

Ways to avoid fraud when looking for help

You're a victim of fraud if:

you paid money for a service you did not get
you hired someone who lied about what they can do to get your money

Fraud can happen both inside and outside of Canada. It may be harder to protect yourself against fraud outside of Canada. And help with cases of fraud is limited, especially outside of Canada.

In Canada, you can report fraud to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, either online or by calling 1-888-495-8501.

If you lost money, you can also call your local police.

It's hard to get your money back if you have been the victim of fraud. Keep reading to learn more about how to avoid fraud and where to hire a reliable lawyer or licensed representative.

More information

The government also has more information to:

help you choose a representative
help protect yourself from fraud targeting newcomers
help you avoid scams targeting international students, which is available in different languages