- IRCC's fraud page names five areas: online and telephone scams, scams targeting newcomers, international student study permit fraud, marriage fraud and fraudulent immigration representatives.
- IRCC says its employees will never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account, transfer money through a private money transfer service, threaten you, offer special deals to people who want to immigrate, or contact you from free email services such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo Mail.
- IRCC's briefing note for Parliament says it reviewed an average of 9,000 cases of suspected immigration fraud every month in 2024.
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act s. 40: misrepresenting or withholding material facts makes a person inadmissible for five years after a final determination.
What counts as immigration document fraud
We could not find a Canadian police report about a shop that sells forged permanent resident cards the way some countries have documented. What IRCC itself documents is broader and, for most readers, more relevant: people pay for the wrong thing, from the wrong person, and lose both money and eligibility. The Government's fraud page groups it this way.
| Type IRCC lists | What it looks like in practice | Where we cover it |
|---|---|---|
| Online and telephone scams | Someone posing as an immigration officer asks for fees or fines, or claims your status is in jeopardy. | Below |
| Fraud targeting newcomers | Fake job offers, paid job-offer documents, fake services. | Fake job offers and LMIA |
| International student study permit fraud | The 2017 IRCC notice described callers claiming arrest warrants and pushing students to hire lawyers. | Below |
| Marriage fraud | Arranged or false relationships for status; IRCC points to the Border Watch Line for reports. | Not covered in detail |
| Fraudulent immigration representatives | A paid “consultant” who is not licensed. | Below |
| False supporting documents | Fake language results, fake work letters, fake credentials attached to an application. | Fake language certificates |
The IRCC impersonation pattern
IRCC's online and telephone scam page, and its notice to international students, describe the same script:
- An unexpected call or message says your visa or immigration status is in jeopardy, an arrest or deportation is coming, or an account will be suspended.
- A demand follows for fees or fines, or for private information.
- The payment route is unusual: a personal bank account, a private money transfer, a card number over the phone.
- In the 2017 student case, callers claimed arrest warrants and pressed students to hire immigration lawyers to avoid deportation; victims transferred thousands of dollars.
IRCC's answer to all of it is one sentence, repeated in several notices: it will never contact you in person, online or by telephone to collect fees or fines to avoid deportation or other consequences.
What IRCC says it will never do
| If the message says | IRCC's own statement |
|---|---|
| “Deposit the fee into this personal account” | IRCC employees never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account. |
| “Use this transfer service” | They never ask you to transfer money through a private money transfer service. |
| “You will be arrested unless you pay” | They never threaten you. |
| “Special deal for immigrants” | They never offer special deals to people who want to immigrate. |
| Email from a free webmail address | They never use free email services to contact you. Official senders end in .gc.ca or Canada.ca. |
| A chat on social media | IRCC does not start conversations through social media. |
Representatives: who may charge you
IRCC says that if you use a paid immigration representative, whether a consultant, a lawyer or a Quebec notary, they must be licensed to represent you or give advice. IRCC's reporting page sends complaints about representative misconduct to an online form, to the Border Watch Line, and to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants or the provincial law societies. The briefing note adds that proposed regulations would set fines of $5,000 to $15,000 per violation for unauthorized immigration advice or for encouraging misrepresentation. That is a proposal described in a government note, not a rule we have checked in force.
What a false document can cost your application
Section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act makes a person inadmissible for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of the Act. The inadmissibility continues for five years following the final determination. Section 127 separately prohibits knowingly misrepresenting material facts and knowingly communicating false or misleading information with intent to induce or deter immigration. The Criminal Code adds forgery and uttering offences, covered on the Criminal Code and fake documents. IRCC's briefing note says it refuses applications and bans bad actors when it detects fraud, and that the refusal rate for misrepresentation had risen to 1.9% by early 2025.
If you were targeted
- Scam call, text or website: report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and to local police or the RCMP if personal or financial information was compromised.
- Immigration fraud in Canada: the Border Watch Line of the Canada Border Services Agency is the primary channel IRCC lists.
- Citizenship fraud: an IRCC tip email address and the IRCC Client Support Centre; also the CAFC.
IRCC states its goal is to find and stop the people committing fraud, not to punish the people who were misled. That does not remove the consequences of using a false document, so if you already submitted something you now doubt, speak to a licensed representative or a lawyer. Full steps are on where to report fraud in Canada.
Frequently asked questions
Does IRCC ask for payment by phone or text?
No. IRCC says it never contacts you in person, online or by telephone to collect fees or fines to avoid deportation or other consequences, never asks for deposits to a personal bank account, and does not start conversations through social media.
How do I know an email is really from IRCC?
IRCC says to check that the sender's email domain ends in .gc.ca or Canada.ca. It says IRCC never uses free email services such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Hotmail to contact you.
What is the penalty for lying on an immigration application?
Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, misrepresenting or withholding material facts makes you inadmissible for five years after a final determination. Section 127 creates a separate offence.
Who can legally charge for immigration advice?
IRCC says a paid representative must be licensed to represent you or give advice. It names consultants, lawyers and Quebec notaries and refers complaints to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants or provincial law societies.
Where do I report immigration fraud?
Report scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and police; report suspected immigration fraud in Canada to the CBSA Border Watch Line; report representative misconduct through IRCC's online form and the licensing body.
Sources and official links
- IRCC: protect yourself from immigration fraud
- IRCC: online and telephone immigration scams
- IRCC: report immigration fraud
- IRCC notice: scam targeting international students (15 December 2017)
- IRCC: fraud (briefing note for the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, 18 November 2025)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, section 40 (misrepresentation)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, section 127 (misrepresentation offence)