How to verify an immigration consultant: CICC and MARA registers

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How to verify an immigration consultant on the CICC and MARA registers

If you are about to pay someone in the UAE for advice on a Canadian or Australian visa, the individual advising you must appear on a public register, and you can check that register yourself before any money changes hands. Canada and Australia both publish the names of the people who may be paid to act for you, and both regulators treat paid advice from anyone else as unlawful. The check matters now because registrations change: in July and August 2026 OMARA cancelled one agent’s registration and barred two former agents, each for 5 years. Both checks are described below, as at August 2026.

At a glance

  • Canada: only members in good standing of a Canadian law society, the Chambre des notaires du Québec, or the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) may be paid to advise or represent you. Consultants are checked on the CICC Public Register.
  • Australia: only registered migration agents, Australian legal practitioners, or unpaid “exempt persons” such as your sponsor or close family may give immigration assistance. Agents are checked on the OMARA Register.
  • Registration sits with the individual, not the company. Search the person’s name, not the brand on the door.
  • On the CICC register the consultant must show “Active” status and “Yes” under Entitled to Practise. OMARA makes checking for disciplinary action step 3 of its five-step process.
  • An Australian registered agent must give you a written service agreement, a fee list and the OMARA Consumer guide. IRCC may return or refuse an application handled by an unauthorised paid representative.

Who may legally charge you for immigration advice

In both countries the licence or registration belongs to a named person. A company name may appear beside a register entry, but the company itself holds nothing, so the search is for the individual who will handle the file.

Question Canada Australia
Regulator for consultants College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC); authority applies in Canada or abroad Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA)
Registered individual is called Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC); RISIAs are a separate class limited to student advice Registered migration agent (RMA)
Who else may act for a fee Members in good standing of a provincial or territorial law society (including Ontario paralegals) or the Chambre des notaires du Québec Legal practitioners holding an Australian practising certificate
Who may help unpaid Family, friends and third parties who do not charge Exempt persons: your nominator or sponsor, close family, parliamentarians, diplomatic or consular staff
Where to check register.college-ic.ca portal.mara.gov.au
Identifier to ask for College ID MARN (the registration number on the OMARA Register)

The CICC describes paid Canadian immigration advice from anyone not licensed by the College, a Canadian law society or the Chambre as “an offence punishable by law”. OMARA’s position is that immigration assistance may lawfully come only from a person on its Register, an Australian legal practitioner or an unpaid exempt person, and it names education agents who are neither as people who must not give it. IRCC adds that any compensation counts as payment, and that it may return or refuse an application handled by an unauthorised paid representative.

Step by step: searching the CICC Public Register

1. Search the person, not the company

Open register.college-ic.ca and select the RCIC list. RISIAs are listed separately. The register accepts a search by first name, last name, College ID, company name, country or city. Whichever field you start with, the result you rely on is a named individual with a College ID.

2. Read the status and the Entitled to Practise column

Only licensees with “Active” status who are also marked “Yes” under Entitled to Practise may legally provide immigration advice or services. Anyone marked “No” may not, regardless of the reason shown. Statuses that carry a “No” include Leave of Absence, Resigned, Resigned – While Under Investigation, and administrative or disciplinary suspensions and revocations. A status of “Active – Practice Restricted” means the person may practise, but the specific restriction is listed beside the status and should be read before you engage them.

3. Check the licence class

Class L1 and L2 RCICs have the full scope of practice. Class L3 (RCIC-IRB) may in addition represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board. Class L4 and L5 are RISIAs, who are employed in the Canadian education sector. A RISIA may advise international students about study permits and temporary resident visas but is not authorised to represent you or to complete immigration forms. For a permanent residence application, the licence class you are looking for is an RCIC class.

4. Open the profile, then use its contact details

The profile page shows licence status and licence history, contact information, and discipline history, which includes current proceedings as well as past decisions. The College advises using the contact details shown on the register to reach the licensee directly. That step confirms that the person you are dealing with is the person on the register and not someone using that name. If the name does not appear on the register, the Government of Canada’s page on authorised representatives links to each provincial and territorial law society, where membership in good standing can be checked. A person on neither list is not authorised to be paid for Canadian immigration advice.

Step by step: searching the OMARA Register

1. Search by name, MARN or location

The Register at portal.mara.gov.au can be searched by the agent’s given name, family name or MARN, by business name, or by business location using country, state, suburb or postcode. OMARA notes that registered agents work in many countries and suggests searching by country to find one near you. A search filtered to the United Arab Emirates therefore returns the agents who are registered and based here.

2. Check whether the agent has been disciplined

Checking for disciplinary action is step 3 of OMARA’s own five-step process for choosing an agent, and OMARA states that a disciplined agent may not be allowed to continue providing immigration assistance. Recent decisions show the process is used. On 21 July 2026 OMARA cancelled an agent’s registration for 5 years, and on 5 August and 17 August 2026 it barred two former agents for 5 years each. These sanctions are available under the Code of Conduct in force since 1 March 2022, which allows OMARA to caution an agent, suspend or cancel registration, or bar re-registration for up to 5 years.

3. Know what a registered agent must give you

OMARA says an agent who agrees to act must:

  • give you a contract (service agreement) covering your details, the services, other costs such as visa application charges, police clearances, medical examinations and skills assessments, when and how you pay, and the likely time the work will take;
  • list every fee, including Administrative Review Tribunal applications, medical and skills tests, interpreters and translations, and government charges;
  • give you the OMARA Consumer guide when you sign, and the Code of Conduct if you ask;
  • confirm your visa option in writing, update you on progress, and write to you about the outcome as soon as possible;
  • disclose any conflict of interest straight away, such as being paid by a school it recommends;
  • keep your money in a separate account until the services are provided, keep your records for 7 years, and get your written consent before entering your details into any AI platform.

OMARA also sets out what an agent cannot do. An agent cannot help you obtain a visa if you do not meet its requirements, and using an agent does not mean faster processing or a grant.

Warning signs, and what to ask before you pay

Both regulators publish warning signs. IRCC cautions against representatives who advertise their services as free and later ask for a fee, and against anyone who advises you to lie on an application. It also reminds applicants that they remain responsible for every piece of information in the application even when a representative completed it. OMARA lists the risks of using unqualified helpers as incorrect advice, false promises, mishandled money, misplaced original documents and not being told whether the visa was granted or refused. OMARA also cannot act on a complaint against a person who is not on its Register.

In our Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices, the situations we are asked to untangle usually began without a named individual, without a College ID or MARN in writing, with a fee paid before any eligibility assessment, and without a signed scope of work. Before you pay anyone, ask:

  • “What is your full name as it appears on the register, and your College ID or MARN?” Then look it up yourself.
  • “Which country are you registered for?” Canada recognises only the College, the law societies and the Chambre; Australia only its Register and legal practitioners.
  • “Will the agreement list every fee, including government charges, tests and translations, and when each is due?”
  • “Do you have any arrangement with the school, employer or business you are recommending?”
  • “Will you confirm my visa option and each milestone in writing?”

A registered practitioner can answer each of these from the documents the regulator already requires them to give you. We publish our own consultants’ registration details on our verify credentials page so that you can run the same check on us against the registers.

From the UAE: what this means for you

Both registers are public web pages, and neither requires you to be in Canada or Australia to use them. OMARA describes registered agents working outside Australia, and the College’s statutory authority applies whether a consultant practises in Canada or abroad. A practitioner based in the UAE can therefore be fully registered, and the register will show it under their own name and identifier.

A promise of permanent residence within a fixed number of months is not something either register can confirm, and it conflicts with what both regulators say. OMARA states that using an agent does not mean faster processing or a grant, and IRCC states that using a representative does not mean approval.

OMARA lists misplaced original documents among the risks of using unqualified people. Keep your original passport and attested degree and employment documents in your own possession wherever possible, and obtain a written receipt for any original you do hand over. If you are still deciding between the two countries, our Canada and Australia pages set out the main skilled pathways.

Frequently asked questions

The company says it is “CICC registered” or “MARA registered”. Is that enough?

No. Both regulators register individuals. Ask for the name and College ID or MARN of the person who will handle your file, and check that person on the register.

The consultant is on the register but the status is not “Active”. Can I still use them?

For Canada, only “Active” licensees marked “Yes” under Entitled to Practise may provide services. For Australia, check the disciplinary decisions on the OMARA portal; a disciplined agent may not be allowed to continue providing immigration assistance.

Do I need a representative at all?

IRCC says you do not: all forms and instructions are free on its website, and using a representative does not draw special attention to your application. OMARA says the same, noting that professional help may matter if your case is complex. Using one is your choice; checking that they are authorised is not.

What to do next

If you want a second opinion on a pathway, start with a free eligibility assessment, call us on 04 357 7796, or book a 20-minute review at our Dubai or Abu Dhabi office. We have completed 10,569 assessments since 2014 and hold a Google rating of 4.8 from 2,551 reviews. We do not promise outcomes; those decisions rest with the governments of Canada and Australia, and any registered practitioner will tell you the same.

Sources

Cover photo: Vlad Deep via Pexels

Not sure which route fits you? Speak to a licensed consultant — CICC (Canada) and MARA (Australia) regulated. No obligation.

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