Continuing Professional Development 

Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) must maintain and enhance their professional knowledge, skills and competence.

As part of this requirement, RCICs must participate annually in Continuing Professional Development (CPD), which is critical to competent and ethical practice. 

CPD Requirements

To maintain your RCIC licence, you must:

  • Earn 16 CPD hours annually during the 12-month period of July 1 to June 30.
  • Report your completed CPD activities to the College as part of your Annual Renewal.
  • Keep records dating back 5 years that show completion of your reported CPD (i.e. proof of payment, invoices, registration, attendance or statements of completion).
  • If you are selected for a CPD Audit, submit the required documents to the College within 30 days.

Non-compliance with these requirements may result in fines, licence suspension or revocation.

For more information on CPD requirements, review the Continuing Professional Development Regulation (CPD) for RCICs and the By-laws, or contact registration@college-ic.ca.

 

CPD Activities must align with the Essential Competencies for RCIC Practice and apply to Canadian immigration and citizenship consultancy.

Earning CPD Hours

CPD hours can be earned by attending College-approved activities or participating in individual activities:

  • College-approved CPD Provider Activities

    • These are activities organized by College-approved CPD Providers and are listed on the College Portal. College-approved CPD Activities do not require individual approval requests before completion.

    To find College-approved activities by CPD Providers:

    1.  Sign in to the College Portal.
    2.  Go to Ongoing Education > Upcoming CPD Events. Each listing includes a link for more information and CPD activity registration.
  • Individual CPD Activities

    • These are self-directed activities that contribute to professional development, such as teaching and publishing an article or a book. These activities are not listed on the College Portal.

    Individual CPD Activities must be approved by the College before CPD hours are earned. RCICs must request approval through the College Portal 6 months to 30 days before the activity start date. Approval for case study discussion activities must be submitted at least 60 days before the start date. Email submissions will not be accepted.

     To request approval for individual CPD activities:

    1.  Sign in to the College Portal.
    2.  Go to Ongoing Education > Continuing Professional Development > Start Licensee Activity Approval.
    3.  Complete the Licensee Activity Approval Form and click “Save and Submit.” The College will review your application and approve or deny the activity.

    Other opportunities to earn CPD hours through College activities, such as serving as a mentor in the New-Licensee Mentoring Program, will be communicated to licensees as they become available.

    Reporting CPD Hours

    CPD hours must be reported through the College Portal. Email submissions will not be accepted.

    Individual CPD Activities, which are not offered by a College-approved provider, can only be reported after they have been approved by the College.

    To report the completion of an approved Individual CPD Activity:

    1. Sign in to the College Portal.
    2. Go to Ongoing Education > Continuing Professional Development > Start CPD Learning Log.
    3. Click "Select Activity" and find the Individual CPD Activity in your list of pre-approved activities.
    4. When you find the pre-approved individual activity you have completed, click "Select."
    5. To report completion of the activity, click "Save and Submit."

    To report the completion of an approved CPD activity offered by a College-approved provider:

    1. Sign in to the College Portal.
    2. Go to Ongoing Education > Continuing Professional Development > Start CPD Learning Log.
    3. Click "Select Activity" and search for the CPD provider activity you completed. You can search using key phrases from the activity or event title.
    4. When you find the CPD provider activity you completed, click "Select."
    5. To add more activities, click "Add Another" and repeat steps 2 to 4.
    6. To report your completion of the activities, click "Save and Submit."

    CPD Audits

    Your CPD submission may be audited at any time between July 1 and June 30 of the following year. If you are selected for an audit, we will notify you by email.

    You will be required to provide documentation to the College; we will include further details in the email.

    Information for CPD Providers

    CPD Providers must submit new CPD activities for approval through the College Portal.

    CPD Providers:

     

    Not a Provider Yet?

      If your organization has never submitted CPD activities for approval, visit the College Portal to create a new account and apply to become an approved provider.

    Calculating CPD Hours

    RCICs can access their annual CPD requirements by logging in to their College Portal Dashboard, clicking Ongoing Education and scrolling down to the CPD Terms section.

    RCICs that practice the full fiscal year, July 1 to June 30, must complete 16 CPD hours and report them to the College by June 30.

    RCICs licensed after the fiscal year starts are required to complete prorated CPD hours as outlined in the CPD Regulation for RCICs.

    RCICs licensed in April, May, or June are not required to earn any CPD hours for that fiscal year. They will be required to earn 16 CPD hours beginning July 1 of the following fiscal year.

    Any RCIC on a leave of absence in the current fiscal year will have their hours reduced according to the CPD Regulation for RCICs.

    Questions?

    If you have questions about CPD or the CPD process, contact the CPD Administrator at cpd@college-ic.ca.