Study in Canada Scams: Fake Letters, Agents, How to Check

Key takeaways

Check every school on IRCC’s designated learning institution (DLI) list before you pay anything
Only lawyers, paralegals, Quebec notaries and licensed CICC members can charge you for immigration advice
On the CICC register, a consultant must show “Active” and “Yes” under “Entitled to Practise”
Pay tuition directly to the school, get receipts, and never sign a blank form
Fake documents lead to refusal and a possible 5-year ban, even if someone else prepared them for you
Report fraud to the police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501)

What do study-in-Canada scams look like?

Most scams start before you leave home. Someone offers to make the process easy, for a fee. IRCC lists these warning signs on its study permit fraud page.

What they promise	What is true
“Pay me and I will get you an acceptance letter.”	Only the school can admit you. A real letter of acceptance (LOA) comes after the school assesses your application.
“I know someone at IRCC. I can speed it up or guarantee approval.”	IRCC says unauthorized representatives have no special connections with immigration officers. It warns against anyone who promises to speed up or change a decision.
“I can get you a tuition discount or a scholarship.”	Discounts and scholarships come from the school or a funder. No agent can guarantee one.
“Every program leads to a work permit after graduation.”	Not all programs qualify for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). Check the program, not the advert.
“Pay through this social media account.”	Pay tuition only to the school, through the method on its official website.
“This program comes with a job and permanent residence.”	A study permit does not include a job or a path to permanent residence (PR).

IRCC also warns against “visa agents”, “immigration agents” and “visa fixers” who are not authorized and charge fees illegally.

What happened with fake acceptance letters in 2023?

In 2023, IRCC found cases where unauthorized consultants had given their clients fake letters of acceptance to use in study permit applications. In June 2023, IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) set up a joint task force to review these cases. IRCC’s counts changed as the review went on:

IRCC source	Figures as of	What it reported
Briefing for a House of Commons committee, October 24, 2023	October 12, 2023	Over 2,000 cases first examined, involving citizens of India (89%), Vietnam (8%) and China (3%). 108 cases reviewed; 62 people found to be genuine students.
News release, October 27, 2023	October 12, 2023	103 cases reviewed: 63 genuine students and 40 not genuine.
Question Period note, April 16, 2024	April 15, 2024	108 of 285 cases reviewed: 67 genuine students, 40 not genuine, 1 needing more review. Of 52 people with removal orders, 34 were genuine students, and 31 were authorized temporary resident permits of up to 3 years.

IRCC described its 2023 figures as preliminary and subject to change.

The fix: schools now confirm every letter

Since December 1, 2023, post-secondary DLIs must confirm each applicant’s letter of acceptance directly with IRCC. IRCC sends the school a request through its online portal. The school has 10 calendar days to answer. If it does not, IRCC returns the application and refunds the fee. IRCC extended this check to applications made inside Canada on January 30, 2024.

This check has a history. From February 2018 to February 2022, IRCC carried out 30,241 letter of acceptance checks. It confirmed that 4,260 letters were fake, altered or no longer valid, about 14%.

How do I check that a Canadian college is real?

Search the DLI list. IRCC’s designated learning institution list (linked in the sources below) shows every post-secondary school that may host international students. All primary and secondary schools are DLIs and are not listed.
Match the DLI number. Each school has a DLI number. You write it on your study permit application. Check that the number on your letter matches the list. Our guide on how to choose a DLI explains the search.
Check PGWP eligibility separately. IRCC says not all programs at a DLI lead to a PGWP. Use the PGWP-eligible view of the list and our PGWP eligibility checker.
Contact the school yourself. Find the admissions email on the school’s own website. Ask it to confirm your offer and your student number. Do not use contact details from the agent.
Check your PAL/TAL. Most college and undergraduate students need a provincial or territorial attestation letter. Your school usually requests it.

A real letter of acceptance is not enough on its own. The school must also confirm it to IRCC. If your agent says the school “does not need to confirm”, that is a warning sign.

How do I check an agent or immigration consultant?

IRCC says only these people can charge a fee or any other payment to help with your application:

Lawyers and paralegals who are members of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
Notaries who are members of the Chambre des notaires du Québec
Members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC)

Friends and family can help for free as unpaid representatives.

Reading the CICC register

The CICC public register (linked in the sources below) lists two kinds of licensees:

Title	Classes	What they do
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC)	L1, L2, L3 (RCIC-IRB)	Immigration advice and applications. Only L3 may appear before the Immigration and Refugee Board.
Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA)	L4, L5	Immigration advice for international students

The CICC says to check two things: the status shows “Active”, and the “Entitled to Practise” column shows “Yes”. Then match the name and licence number to your contract. Our consultant licence check walks through each register.

Education agents

Many schools work with recruitment agents who help with admission. Helping you apply to a school is not the same as giving immigration advice. If someone you pay helps with your study permit application, IRCC’s rule above applies. If you are not sure whether a school works with an agent, email the school using the address on its official website.

How do I protect my money and documents?

Pay tuition directly to the school. IRCC says this plainly. Use only the payment methods on the school’s official fee page. Our tuition payment scams guide covers fake portals and changed bank details.
Get a written contract with any paid representative. It should list every service and every fee.
Get signed receipts for every payment.
Never sign a blank form. Read every page before you sign. You are responsible for what your application says.
Keep your own copies of everything submitted, and create your own IRCC account so you can see your application.
Keep your passport. Do not hand it to an agent to “hold”.

Showing proof of funds? Use the current IRCC amount: $23,448 for one student for applications from September 1, 2026 (outside Quebec). IRCC’s study permit fraud page (last updated January 6, 2025) still mentions an older amount, $20,635. The financial support page has the current amount. See study permit proof of funds.

What happens if my application has fake documents?

IRCC says giving false or misleading information means your application will be refused. You could also be banned from coming to Canada for 5 years. If you are already in Canada, you may be removed.

IRCC’s visa office checklists say this applies if you or someone acting for you gives false documents. That is why IRCC asks you to check everything yourself. The 2023 task force reviewed cases one by one, and genuine victims could get a temporary resident permit. That was a special review, not a promise for the future.

I think I was scammed. What should I do?

Stop paying. Do not send more money to “fix” the problem.
Call your bank if you paid by card or transfer. Ask if the payment can be stopped or reversed.
Contact the school using details from its official website. Ask whether your offer and payments are real.
Report to the police where you live.
Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC): online, or at 1-888-495-8501, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Eastern time.
Report immigration fraud to the CBSA Border Watch Line, as IRCC’s report-fraud page explains.

More help: immigration scams and where to report them. Once you arrive, watch for rental scams too.

Common questions

How do I know if my Canadian college is real?

Search for it on IRCC’s designated learning institution (DLI) list and check that the DLI number matches your letter. Then contact the school yourself, using details from its official website, to confirm your offer.

Can an agent guarantee my study permit?

No. IRCC warns against anyone who promises to guarantee a permit or scholarship, speed up processing, or get you a job. A promise like this is a warning sign.

Is my education agent allowed to charge me?

Only authorized representatives can charge for immigration advice or help with your application: lawyers and paralegals in a Canadian law society, Quebec notaries, and licensed CICC members (RCIC or RISIA). Check the CICC register for “Active” and “Entitled to Practise: Yes”.

What happens if my agent used a fake letter?

IRCC can refuse your application and ban you for 5 years, even if someone acting for you prepared the documents. In 2023 a special task force reviewed affected students case by case. Check your documents yourself before you sign.

Does IRCC check acceptance letters?

Yes. Since December 1, 2023, post-secondary schools must confirm every letter of acceptance with IRCC within 10 calendar days, or IRCC returns the application.

Where do I report a study scam?

Report to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501). IRCC’s report-fraud page points to the CBSA Border Watch Line for immigration fraud.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 10, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Study in Canada scams: fake acceptance letters, agent fraud and how to check a college