June 26, 2026
New Rules Strengthen Oversight of Immigration Consultants, but Systemic Gaps Remain
Mario Bellissimo was recently interviewed by New Canadian Media regarding recent reforms aimed at strengthening oversight of immigration consultants in Canada. While these reforms represent an important step toward improving accountability and consumer protection, Bellissimo emphasizes that significant gaps remain within the broader immigration system.
Bellissimo notes that immigration-related fraud is not always limited to misconduct by consultants alone. In many cases, applicants are genuinely misled or unaware they are engaging with unregulated actors. At the same time, he notes that immigration fraud can arise in complex circumstances where multiple factors intersect, including vulnerability, language barriers, urgency, and reliance on third parties in high-stakes situations. These complexities can often blur the distinction between victims and perpetrators.
Other times, fraud originates elsewhere in the system. This includes recruiters, employers, and educational agents. It also includes unlicensed “ghost consultants” and offshore intermediaries, who operate beyond the reach of Canadian regulations.
He also highlights that fraud may originate from different parts of the system, including unlicensed “ghost consultants,” offshore intermediaries operating beyond Canadian jurisdiction, employers, and in some cases, regulatory or procedural weaknesses that allow misinformation or misconduct to go undetected.
While Bellissimo views the new regulatory framework governing immigration consultants as a positive development in strengthening public trust, he cautions that effective reform requires a broader and more coordinated approach. This includes improved accountability across all actors involved in the immigration process, not solely regulated consultants.
Ultimately, Bellissimo underscores that strengthening oversight must go hand in hand with protecting vulnerable applicants and maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration system as a whole.
Read full article here: https://newcanadianmedia.ca/new-rules-tighten-oversight-of-immigration-consultants-but-some-of-the-biggest-frauds-remain-beyond-reach/
Bellissimo Immigration Lawyers
BLGPC’s multicultural team encompasses many specialties and our staff members are among the most highly trained and most experienced immigration lawyers, consultants and clerks in the country. The standards for practice at BLGPC are rigorous and only those persons with key core competencies and extensive knowledge in the industry form part of the team