The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants officially launches

On November 23rd 2021, the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, officially marked the opening of The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

Every year, millions of people worldwide choose to visit, work and live in Canada, many of whom use the services of an immigration consultant to guide them through the process. Sadly, there are fraudulent consultants who take advantage.

The exploitation of this system has promoted the Canadian government to take action in ensuring those wanting to come to Canada are better protected.

The College ensures full regulation of all paid immigration consultants, who must be licensed to work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The government has also increased the standards for consultants, who now can only enter the profession by means of a competency based graduate diploma and a bachelor’s degree. Ongoing personal and professional development, including annual assessment, is also key to retaining a license.

Consultants will be regulated under the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act, and according to the official IRCC press release, the college can protect the public from unlicensed consultants by..

• Entering a consultant’s premises to gather information for an investigation
• Compelling witnesses to appear and testify before its Discipline Committee
• Requesting court injunctions to address unlicensed actors providing immigration or citizenship advice without authorization

The college is an important part of the Canadian governments efforts to tackle fraud within the immigration system. Although those wanting to come to Canada are not required to use the services of a consultant, it is vital that those who wish to do so ensure the consultant they choose is licensed and registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).