IRCC issued a May 19, 2026 notice confirming that it is emailing 300,000 randomly selected clients who received an immigration or citizenship decision in 2025. The voluntary, anonymous survey focuses on experiences with immigration and citizenship representatives or application advice and must be completed by June 12, 2026.
- Selected clients may receive an official IRCC survey invitation by email starting May 19, 2026.
- The survey is voluntary, anonymous, and will not affect past, current, or future IRCC applications.
- Recipients should verify that the survey link starts with the official Qualtrics address listed by IRCC and should not open attachments.
IRCC Client Experience Survey on Immigration and Citizenship Representation Announced Today
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has issued a new official notice today, May 19, 2026,. confirming the launch of an online client experience survey about immigration and citizenship representation and advice.
According to IRCC, the survey is aimed at people who used an immigration. or citizenship representative, or who received advice on an immigration or citizenship application.
The department says the information collected will help improve IRCC programs and services.
This is not an Express Entry draw, a new permanent residence pathway, a change to study permit eligibility, or a new work permit policy. It is a client experience survey.
However, it is still important for applicants, former applicants, and representatives because it relates directly to. how IRCC evaluates the quality, transparency, and reliability of immigration and citizenship advice used by clients.
The official IRCC notice is available here: IRCC client experience survey notice.
What Changed on May 19, 2026
IRCC confirmed that, on May 19, 2026, it will email 300,000 clients who received a decision from IRCC in 2025. These clients were selected at random.
The survey is about immigration and citizenship representation and advice. This means it may be relevant to people who used a paid representative, unpaid representative, consultant, lawyer, notary,.
community organization, settlement service, family member, friend, or another source of advice when preparing or submitting an application.
IRCC states that participation is voluntary and anonymous. Responses will not be linked to individual applications and will not be used to identify respondents.
Most importantly for applicants, IRCC confirms that survey responses will not affect any past, current, or future IRCC applications.
Key Survey Details Confirmed by IRCC
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official notice date | May 19, 2026 |
| Who may receive the survey | Randomly selected clients who received an IRCC decision in 2025 |
| Number of clients selected | 300,000 |
| Topic | Immigration and citizenship representation and advice |
| Participation | Voluntary and anonymous |
| Estimated completion time | About 11 minutes |
| Languages | English and French |
| Deadline | June 12, 2026 |
Who Is Affected by the IRCC Survey
The survey affects only people who receive an email invitation from IRCC. IRCC states that participants were selected at random from clients who received a decision in 2025.
If you received an approval, refusal, withdrawal, cancellation, or other decision from IRCC. in 2025, you may be within the broader group from which participants were selected.
However, receiving a decision in 2025 does not guarantee that you will receive the survey.
If You Are Inside Canada
If you are inside Canada and receive the survey invitation, you can choose whether to complete it. IRCC says the survey will not affect any current or future application.
This may be relevant if you currently hold temporary resident status, have a. pending extension, are waiting for permanent residence processing, or are preparing another application.
If You Are Outside Canada
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If you are outside Canada and received a decision from IRCC in 2025, you may also receive the survey if you were randomly selected. The same rule applies: participation is voluntary and anonymous.
If You Were Previously Refused
If you received a refusal in 2025 and are selected for the survey, IRCC says your response will not affect past, current, or future applications. This is important because some refused applicants may be worried that answering a.
survey could influence a reconsideration, judicial review, new application, or future admissibility assessment.
If Your Status Is Expiring
If your temporary status in Canada is expiring, the survey does not replace any immigration action you may need to take. You should still monitor your status expiry date, restoration deadline, work permit conditions, study permit conditions, visitor status, and any application submission deadline. For practical next steps, review status restoration options in Canada.
How to Identify the Official IRCC Survey Email
IRCC says the invitation will include a survey link starting with https://ircc.qualtrics.com/jfe. The invitation should include no attachments. It should also include an IRCC email address where participants can send questions.
This matters because immigration applicants are often targeted by fraud, fake emails, false representatives, and phishing attempts. Any email asking for payment, passwords, banking details, passport upload, or account login credentials should be treated with caution.
Applicants can compare any email they receive with the official IRCC notice before clicking a link. When in doubt, do not open attachments and do not provide personal information unless you are confident the message is legitimate.
Facts Confirmed by IRCC
The following facts are confirmed in IRCC’s May 19, 2026 notice:
- IRCC is running an online survey about immigration and citizenship representation and advice.
- IRCC will email 300,000 randomly selected clients who received a decision in 2025.
- Participation is voluntary.
- Participation is anonymous.
- Responses will not be linked to individual applications.
- Responses will not be used to identify respondents.
- Survey results will be used to help improve IRCC programs and services.
- The survey will not affect past, current, or future IRCC applications.
- The survey takes about 11 minutes to complete.
- The survey is available in English and French.
- The deadline to complete the survey is June 12, 2026.
Analysis: Why This Survey Matters
Analysis: Although this notice does not create a new immigration program or change eligibility rules, it may. be connected to IRCC’s broader focus on client protection, service quality, and the regulation of immigration advice.
Representation is a sensitive issue in Canadian immigration. Applicants often rely on paid or unpaid help to understand eligibility, prepare forms, gather evidence, respond to procedural fairness letters, or deal with refusals.
Poor advice can lead to incomplete applications, misrepresentation concerns, missed deadlines, or unnecessary refusals.
By collecting anonymous client feedback, IRCC may be trying to better understand how people choose representatives, what kinds. of advice they receive, whether clients understand who is authorized to represent them, and where service gaps exist.
This possible interpretation should not be read as a confirmed policy change. IRCC has not announced new representative rules in this notice. The confirmed action today is the launch of the survey.
What Applicants Should Do Next
If you receive the official survey invitation, review the email carefully before clicking any link. Confirm that the survey link starts with the IRCC Qualtrics address identified in the official notice.
Confirm that there are no attachments. If the email asks for payment, passwords, or unrelated personal information, treat it as suspicious.
If you choose to complete the survey, answer honestly based on your experience. Your response should not affect your immigration or citizenship file, according to IRCC.
If you do not receive an invitation, there is no action required. The survey is being sent only to randomly selected clients.
If you are currently preparing an immigration application, the survey should also serve as a reminder to verify the qualifications of anyone giving immigration advice. In Canada, paid immigration advice should generally come from an authorized representative, such as a lawyer, a Quebec notary, or a licensed immigration consultant. You can also review how to choose an authorized immigration representative.
Practical Strategy for Applicants and Representatives
Applicants should keep copies of all advice, forms, document checklists, submission confirmations, and representative agreements. Clear records can help if there is a dispute, a refusal, or a future need to explain what was submitted.
If you are applying through Express Entry, a Provincial Nominee Program, family sponsorship, a study permit,. a work permit, or citizenship, make sure you understand what information is being submitted on your behalf.
You remain responsible for the accuracy of your application even when someone helps you prepare it.
For Express Entry candidates, accurate representation is especially important because CRS score claims, work experience details,. education credentials, language test results, job offers, and provincial nominations must be consistent and supported by evidence. For more guidance, see how to improve your CRS score and Provincial Nominee Program pathways.
If you have concerns about a past application, a refusal, possible misrepresentation, or advice. you received from a representative, consider obtaining a professional case review before submitting another application.
Get Help Reviewing Your Immigration Situation
If you received an IRCC decision in 2025, were refused, are unsure whether advice you received was. accurate, or need help preparing a new application, a professional review can help identify risks before you submit.
Book a consultation to review your eligibility, documents, representative history, or next immigration steps.
Compliance Disclaimer
See How This Affects Your Case
Policy changes can create new opportunities or challenges. Book a consultation to understand exactly how recent updates impact your immigration plans.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.