What is the effect of improper advice from an immigration consultant on a sponsor not disclosing the existence of his family members?

It was certainly appropriate for the immigration officer to consider the sponsor’s explanation for failing to declare his family as that was one of the grounds upon which the applicants sought an exemption. Similarly, the immigration officer correctly noted that the sponsor took the advice of an immigration consultant and chose not to declare his family members, as he did not want to slow down the processing of his application. This was clearly not a compelling reason for not having disclosed the existence of a family member: Pascual v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2008 FC 993, at paragraph 19. As for the improper advice from the consultant, it could not, in and of itself, excuse the sponsor for withholding material information: Cove v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2001 FCT 266, at paragraphs 6–7.