In January, people of Haitian origin waited outside a Montreal immigration firm that promised to help accelerate the immigration process for those affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake. (CBC)

The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) is calling on the federal and provincial governments to crack down on unauthorized immigration advisers it calls "ghost agents."

The professional regulatory body for immigration consultants in Canada announced Wednesday that unregistered agents who offer immigrants advice are a growing concern, especially now that many Haitian earthquake victims want to move to Canada.

The CSIC said current laws prevent police from cracking down on such consultants, and it wants the provincial and federal governments to look at the issue.

"Immigrants come to Canada because we have a reputation for protecting the vulnerable," said John Ryan, who is CSIC chair and acting CEO. "And yet many immigrants arrive here only to be exploited by a ghost agent."

"Our mandate is to protect consumers of immigration consulting services through the accreditation of our members. Today we're taking further action to protect consumers from these unscrupulous individuals," he said in a statement.

There are just over 150 registered consultants in Quebec, but there are about 3,000 people acting as immigration consultants in the province.

More often than not, the consultants often charge between $5,000 and $15,000 for immigration advice, CSIC said.

The immigration advice they give is not always accurate, and can lead to the denial of a claim if an immigrant was ever advised to lie to get into Canada, the society said.

CSIC launched a national ad campaign Wednesday in Montreal and Toronto to raise awareness about the issue.

A poster campaign shows a shark eating a seal, depicting the "ghost agents" as the shark, preying on helpless people.

The ads also promote a free hotline to assist immigrants in finding a registered consultant.

"We're doing our part to fight the ghost agent problem. We look forward to working with the government to put an end to the serious problem of ghost agents," Ryan said.

The announcement comes at a time when many Haitians are looking to immigrate to Quebec and other parts of the country.

Last month, hundreds of Haitian-Montrealers lined up outside the doors of Immigration International 911 Inc. in Montreal because they were promised free advice.

When they arrived, the company doors were locked and the man behind the company was nowhere to be found.