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Important Notice

The Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre (SIIC) will be closing on March 31, 2025 due to funding cuts. This website will no longer be available after this date. Please save any guides you would like ahead of the closure. If you have any questions, please email siic@vpl.ca.

Protecting Yourself

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It is against the law in British Columbia for you to be charged a “placement fee” by a recruitment or employment agency.

You should not be charged a fee to use a recruitment agency. The cost of the agency’s service is paid by the employer because the agency is helping the company fill a position. There may be costs for updating your resume or for personality testing, but those costs should be optional rather than required.

Recruitment agencies must be licensed under the Employment Standards Act in BC. Check to make sure the agency is included in the following list:

[Note: The only time a recruitment agency does not need to be licensed is if they hire only for one company.]

If you choose to register with more than one recruiter, let each one know you are working with someone else as well. It can be an issue if your resume is given to the same employer by two or more recruiters, as recruiters get paid per placement.