How to Report a Migration Agent: Official Channels

If you need to report a migration agent, the correct channel depends on where the agent operates and what the problem is. There is no single global body that regulates migration agents. You report to the government authority in the country where the agent is based or where the harm occurred, and for some issues you report to a law-enforcement or consumer-protection agency instead. This page sets out the official reporting routes that exist in the official guidance, what each one covers, and what information you should gather before you make a report.

Report to the regulator in the agent’s country

Migration agents are regulated at the national level, and each country has its own authority that handles complaints about agents and consultants. If your agent is based in a country that has a dedicated regulator, that regulator is the first place to report misconduct such as dishonest advice, fee disputes, or breaches of the code of conduct.

The official guidance for this page does not name the specific regulators for every country. What it does confirm is that national governments operate official reporting channels for problems involving foreign workers and for crimes or civil-rights violations. Before you report, check the official government website for the country where the agent operates and search for the body that licenses or registers migration agents. That regulator’s website will state what conduct it can investigate and how to file a complaint.

Report abuse of temporary foreign workers to Service Canada

If you are a temporary foreign worker in Canada and you have been abused by your employer or by someone acting for an employer, Service Canada operates a dedicated reporting system. The Canadian government states that all workers in Canada are protected under Canadian law, and that employers who abuse workers or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program could face a penalty or be banned from the program.

The examples of abuse that the government lists include:

• someone threatening, bullying, or abusing you
• someone threatening your status in Canada
• you are not allowed to leave your work site or where you live
• someone is keeping your passport or documents from you
• you are not receiving your correct pay or time off
• you are not doing the work you agreed to or what the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) says

These situations can arise in a migration context, for example if an agent or employer holds your documents or threatens your immigration status. The fastest ways to report are online or by phone. The tip line is 1-866-602-9448 and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you call, you can leave a message for Service Canada to investigate, or you can speak to a live agent in more than 200 languages during business hours, Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 8 pm Eastern time.

You can also report in person at a Service Canada Centre, or by mail to:

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Branch Service Canada 140 Promenade du Portage 5th Floor Box 520 Gatineau QC K1A 0J2 Canada

Anyone can make a report, including a worker, a co-worker, an employer, a member of the public, a foreign consulate, or an advocacy group.

Report crimes and civil-rights violations to the US Department of Justice

If the conduct you want to report involves a crime or a civil-rights violation in the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) publishes a central resource page that tells you which component or partner agency to contact. The page is not a migration-agent regulator, but it covers many offences that can occur in a migration or employment context.

For violent crime, terrorism, hate crime, and public corruption, the DOJ directs you to submit an FBI Tip online or to call your local FBI field office. For human trafficking, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 (voice and TTY), submit an anonymous tip form, or contact the Department of Homeland Security at 866-347-2423. For fraud, including elder fraud, you can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311) or the FBI Hotline at 800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324).

If you have experienced discrimination, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division enforces federal laws that protect people from unlawful discrimination in settings including work, housing, and public spaces. You can submit a report through the Civil Rights Reporting Portal. The laws protect against discrimination based on race or colour, national origin, language, sex, disability, religion, immigration and citizenship status, family status, age, servicemember status, and genetic information.

What information to prepare before you report

Whether you are reporting to a regulator, to Service Canada, or to the DOJ, the quality of your report depends on the detail you provide. The Canadian government states that it is important to tell them as much about the problem or abuse as you can. For a report about a temporary foreign worker, the information you need includes:

• the name, address, and phone number of the business or organisation
• the names or positions of the people involved
• the type of abuse

You do not have to give your name, phone number, or LMIA or work permit number to make a report to Service Canada, but these details do help. The information you share is protected by Canada’s privacy laws, and Service Canada will never tell your employer or anyone at your workplace who made the report. For privacy reasons, the government cannot tell you what happens after you make a report.

The same principle applies to other reporting channels. Gather the agent’s full business name and registered address, the names of the individuals involved, dates, copies of contracts and receipts, and a clear written summary of what happened. If you are reporting a crime, note that the DOJ page says to contact 911 immediately in an emergency.

Your rights and what to expect

Your rights are protected when you report. In Canada, the government states that all workers are protected under Canadian law and that the information you share is protected by privacy laws. The government will not contact you or share your information without your permission.

It is important to be realistic about what a report can achieve. Reporting to a regulator can lead to an investigation, a penalty, or a ban from a program, but the official guidance does not state that any specific outcome is guaranteed. The Canadian government explicitly says that, for privacy reasons, it cannot tell you what happens after you make a report. No reporting channel in the official guidance promises a particular result.

What to do next

Decide which channel applies to your situation. If you are a temporary foreign worker in Canada and the issue involves abuse by an employer or an agent, report to Service Canada online or by phone at 1-866-602-9448. If the conduct is a crime or a civil-rights violation in the United States, use the DOJ resource page to find the correct component or hotline. If the issue is professional misconduct by a migration agent in another country, check that country’s official government website for the regulator that licenses agents.

Before you submit, verify the current contact details on the official page. The official guidance for this page was retrieved in September 2026, and the Canadian page was last updated on 19 September 2024 while the DOJ page was updated on 8 May 2026. Contact numbers and reporting portals can change. Confirm the details on the official government website before you rely on them.