Yes. CICC (Canada) and MARA (Australia) are the only government-recognised regulators authorised to license immigration consultants in their respective countries. Both bodies are statutory — created by federal legislation — and their public registers are the legal source of truth for who can charge fees for regulated immigration advice.
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) is the federal regulator of Canadian immigration consultants under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. It was established by an Act of Parliament that received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 and came into force on November 23, 2021 — at which point it replaced the previous self-governing body, ICCRC.
If you see an advisor describing themselves as "ICCRC-licensed," that terminology is outdated. The correct current term is RCIC — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant — registered with the CICC.
The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) sits within the Australian Department of Home Affairs and operates under the Migration Act 1958. Anyone who gives "immigration assistance" for a fee in connection with an Australian visa must be registered with MARA — registration is recorded under a MARN (Migration Agents Registration Number).
Public register: college-ic.ca/protecting-the-public/find-an-immigration-consultant
Search by name, RCIC number, or city. The result page lists the consultant's class (R = regular, L = limited), licence status, year of registration, and any disciplinary history.
Public register: mara.gov.au/search-the-register-of-migration-agents
Search by name or MARN. The result shows registration status, business address, sanctions if any, and the date of first registration.
Yes — but with one important nuance: licences attach to individual practitioners, not to firms. A Dubai consultancy is "dual-licensed" only when it employs or partners with named individuals who personally hold a current CICC RCIC licence and separate named individuals who personally hold a current MARA MARN.
Cosmos Immigration has operated under this dual-licence model since 2014. Our advisory team includes named CICC RCICs and named MARA migration agents whose licences appear on the official registers above. The /verify-credentials page links the specific search pages so you can confirm the named associate working on your case.
If you are paying for advice on a Canadian or Australian visa from inside the UAE, the three risks of using an unlicensed advisor are:
| Risk | What it looks like in practice |
|---|---|
| Application rejection | An unlicensed representative cannot legally sign Canadian IMM forms or Australian Form 956. Even if your paperwork is correct, the application is invalid the moment a non-licensee signs as your representative. |
| No regulator recourse | If the advisor disappears with fees, misrepresents your case, or fails to file by deadline, you have no complaint mechanism — CICC and MARA cannot discipline a non-member. |
| No funds-in-trust protection | Licensed members must hold client retainers in trust accounts and follow strict disbursement rules. Unlicensed advisors are under no such obligation; in payment-fraud cases the funds are typically untraceable. |
Besides CICC and MARA, two other government-recognised bodies are relevant for visa applications Cosmos handles:
Get a Signed Eligibility Letter from a Licensed Consultant →
© Copyright Cosmos Immigration 2026. All Rights Reserved.