Minister Mendicino Announces the Date of Continuance as the College on Nov. 23, 2021
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, has announced that the continuance of the Immigration Consultant of Canada Regulatory Council (Council) as the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (College) will be effective as of November 23, 2021.
Pursuant to subsection 84 (1) of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act (the College Act), the Council, with member approval, was granted the right to apply to be continued as the College. The Council obtained member approval on September 19, 2019, and applied for continuance on December 11, 2020. To read more about the different steps that have led to the acceptance of the application and the date of continuance, visit our Council to College info page.
Pursuant to the College Act, the College will be governed by a transitional Board of Directors which will oversee the approval of the initial College By-laws and other procedures. This transitional period will end when the Minister issues a final order setting the number and composition of the final College Board of Directors and prescribes a date by which the new Board must be in office.
The new College will have enhanced powers to regulate the immigration consulting profession in the public interest, including new authority to investigate and pursue unauthorized practitioners. These changes will support better protection of Canadians, newcomers, and licensed immigration consultants. Obtaining the statutory authority to regulate itself under the College Act marks a key milestone in the development and regulation of this growing profession.
August 10, 2021—Ottawa—Canada is one of the top destinations in the world, with millions of people from across the globe hoping to come here every year to settle, visit or work. To navigate the immigration system, many people turn to consultants or other services for help. While nearly all operate honestly, unscrupulous actors can exploit the system and take advantage of people. That’s why the Government of Canada is taking meaningful action to root out immigration fraud and protect those who wish to come here.
Today, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants will officially open on November 23, 2021. The College will become the official regulator of immigration and citizenship consultants across the country, improving oversight and cracking down on criminals. It will be an arm’s-length institution, regulating the profession by protecting both the public and consultants in good standing from those who take advantage of vulnerable people.
The College will regulate immigration and citizenship consultants under a statutory framework put in place by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act. It will have significant new powers and tools to investigate professional misconduct and to discipline its licensees. It will also be subject to appropriate government oversight.
The creation of the College is a key part of the government’s efforts to fight fraud in our immigration system. It builds on our significant action over the past few years, including an investment of $50 million to fight fraud and new educational tools to help applicants identify fraudulent activity. It also fulfills a mandate commitment to strengthen oversight, uphold the integrity of Canada’s immigration system and protect all those who wish to come here.
Quotes
“Those who wish to come to Canada deserve honest, professional and ethical advice—and we have a responsibility to ensure they’re getting it. Our new College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants is a major milestone in these efforts. The creation of the new College delivers on our promise to better protect newcomers and bolsters Canada’s immigration system so it can continue to be the envy of the world.”
– The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Quick facts
- The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act came into force on December 9, 2020, providing a statutory framework to regulate citizenship and immigration consultants.
- The College will have the authorities necessary for the regulation of consultants, in particular tools to investigate professional misconduct and discipline its licensees. This includes the power to enter the premises of a consultant for the purpose of gathering information to support an investigation and the power to compel witnesses to appear and testify before its Discipline Committee.
- The College will have the ability to request court injunctions to address unlicensed actors providing immigration or citizenship advice without authorization.
- The College’s initial board of directors will be comprised of 5 public interest directors and 4 members of the College (consultants). Public interest directors will be appointed by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship prior to the College opening.
- A code of professional conduct for the College is currently in development as part of the regulatory process. The code will play a major role in establishing and maintaining strong ethical and professional standards that all licensees must abide by.
