Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, has announced that the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants will officially open on November 23, 2021.
An official government media release stated that the college will serve as the official regulator of immigration and citizenship consultants across the country.
Moreover, the creation of this regulatory body is intended to improve oversight of the profession and crackdown on immigration fraud.
“Those who wish to come to Canada deserve honest, professional and ethical advice—and we have a responsibility to ensure they’re getting it,” Mendicino stated in the news release.
Mendicino described the establishment of the new College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants as 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 minister added.
The body was established through the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act, which came into force on December 9, 2020.
The said legislation provides the statutory framework to regulate citizenship and immigration consultants.
The college will have the powers necessary for the regulation of consultants.
In particular, these include tools to investigate professional misconduct and discipline its licensees.
The law authorizes the college to enter the premises of a consultant for the purpose of gathering information to support an investigation.
The college will also have the power to compel witnesses to appear and testify before its discipline committee.
In addition, the regulatory body will have the ability to request court injunctions against unlicensed entities providing immigration or citizenship services without authorization.
The media release also stated that a code of professional conduct for the college is currently in development.
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