The government of Canada designated the College Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (the College) as the regulatory body responsible for overseeing the immigration consulting profession. We do this to protect applicants to Canadian immigration.
As a self-governing body, we must
- Regulate our profession to protect consumers for the public good;
- Establish admission criteria;
- Set ongoing professional obligations; and
- Discipline licensees who do not:
- Maintain their professional standing and obligations, or
- Comply with the Code of Professional Conduct for our profession.
As a regulatory body, we cannot act as a membership services organization for our licensees’ benefit. We are also not allowed to advocate or lobby for licensees.
Licensees on the College’s Board of Directors are elected to strictly govern to protect the public. The Board also includes public representatives appointed by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada. These are people from outside the profession whose experience and backgrounds greatly benefit the College and the public.
When the College effectively regulates the profession, we serve the interests of the public and our licensees. Doing so increases the government’s and the public’s confidence in us. It also enhances the reputation of our profession and the reputations of our licensees.