The federal government announced on Wednesday a series of oversight reforms to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants in an effort to strengthen protections for people seeking advice.
A news release Wednesday from the government said the reforms will improve access to “trustworthy, quality representation” for those looking for immigration and citizenship information and services.
The announcement comes amid a number of reported cases of fraud or scams in recent months and years among licensed immigration consultants in Canada, something Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab says the government wants to address.
“People looking to build their future in Canada deserve access to honest and reliable immigration and citizenship advice,” she said in the release.
“They need to have confidence that our government is taking effective steps to improve integrity. These changes reflect our commitment to protecting applicants from fraud and misconduct, and to supporting a system where consultants are held to high standards.”
The new regulations, set to come into effect in mid-July, will allow the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants to strengthen its discipline process, which will mean increased penalties for consultants who are found to have committed misconduct.
More information about individuals will also be required on the college’s online public register of licensed consultants, beginning April 2027, and the college will be directed to add new reporting requirements to “improve transparency,” according to the release.
The new regulations also aim to improve the college’s investigation process for misconduct and allow the minister to appoint an individual to take over the college’s board if the current leadership fails to meet its responsibilities.
Additionally, guidelines will be established for the college’s compensation fund, created to help victims of fraud perpetrated by dishonest consultants, the government said.
“These regulations will strengthen the integrity of immigration and citizenship consulting and play an important role in protecting people from dishonest representatives,” the release read.
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