Quebec has set limits on who can work as an immigration consultant, a response to years of documented cases of fraud targeting new arrivals.

Immigration Minister Yolande James said Thursday that consulting services can only be carried out by three types of professionals:

  • Lawyers
  • Notaries
  • Registered members of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants who can speak French and have never violated Quebec immigration law.

James says there will be an online database that lists all registered consultants as well as professionals whose right to practice has been revoked by the province.

John Ryan, acting CEO of the The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants said in a statement the group is thrilled with the news.

"Consumers of immigration consulting services in the province of Quebec will now have access to a greater pool of competent immigration consultants who will be held accountable to strict rules of professional conduct," said Ryan.

Ghost consultants

Quebec says it will also crack down on so-called "ghost" consultants who operate under the table. All immigrants will be required to declare in writing whether or not they're using an immigration consultant.

"Any false declaration could lead to the (immigration) request being rejected," the department said in a statement.

Longstanding fraud

Bogus immigration consultants made national headlines in the early 2000s after several people came forward to say that they had been bilked of thousands of dollars for services that were never rendered.

Some people handed cash to the fraudsters on the promise that their immigration files would be pushed through the system.

But in many cases, the fake consultants pocketed the cash and never processed the files.

Alarm

The fraud cases led the federal government to create the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants in 2003. The watchdog has since issued warnings about bad apples in the industry.

The CSIC launched an ad campaign and tracked 2,000 illegitimate consultants.

The group said fraudsters often give false advice to prospective immigrants, make impossible promises and charge huge fees for services.