GI-2024-51-reg4: Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Administrative Penalties and Consequences)

If you run an immigration consulting practice or provide paid immigration advice, this regulation means IRCC can now come after you directly — without going through the courts — if they suspect you're operating without a licence or helping clients fudge their applications. First-time offenders face fines starting at $2,500 for unauthorized practice or $7,500 for misrepresentation (halved baseline amounts), but repeat offenders can face penalties up to $1.5 million per notice, plus whatever fees you collected get added on top. About 99% of licensed immigration consultants are small businesses, so the vast majority of people in this industry are in scope. Perhaps most damaging, your name, business address, the nature of your violation, and whether you've paid your fine will all be posted publicly on the IRCC website — a reputational consequence that could effectively end a consulting practice even before any fine is paid.