(Ottawa, Canada) - New monetary penalties for misconduct by paid immigration and citizenship representatives took effect October 28, IRCC announced.

The department lists base amounts of $5,000 for unauthorized paid advice or representation and $15,000 for knowing misrepresentation. Its guidance says calculations also consider impact, financial advantage and previous violations; those figures are not universal final penalties.

The system covers authorized professionals and unauthorized paid advisers. It operates alongside professional discipline and criminal enforcement, rather than replacing them.

IRCC’s process allows a response to a preliminary notice and a review request after a notice of violation. The department expects a public registry of penalized representatives in 2027; that is a planned launch, not an already available list.

The department urges applicants to verify that a representative is authorized before paying.

Sources: IRCC’s October 28 announcement; official penalty and review guidance.

Conceptual editorial illustration of reviewing immigration-service documents; no real client records are shown.