The College recently carried out a blitz to legally shut down approximately 1500 websites and social media pages advertising known Unauthorized Practitioners (UAPs).
A UAP is anyone who illegally provides Canadian immigration advice for a fee or other consideration without being licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, a Canadian law society, or the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
One of the key objectives of the College’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan is to ‘combat unauthorized practitioners by enforcement, licensing, and awareness’.
UAPs pose significant risks to the public as they are not regulated or licensed. Members of the public can check the College’s Public Register to verify a Canadian immigration consultant’s status as a licensee of the College.
Laura Halbert, the College’s Director, Professional Conduct, said: “We are pleased with the results of this blitz and that almost 1500 UAP websites and social media pages are no longer in operation. The work does not end here. We will continue to take swift, serious action against the UAPs we find who are operating illegally. At the same time, the College has made significant investments to increase public awareness about the dangers UAPs pose to a global audience.”
The College ran a highly successful Fraud Prevention Month campaign, driving people to the Public Register and warning them about the dangers of UAPs. The online videos have more than 1 million views from people in top source countries for immigration to Canada.
The College has also held meetings with key stakeholders in multiple provincial governments as well as with the RCMP and CBSA to raise awareness and build close working relationships.
College President & CEO John Murray said: “UAPs are a multi-stakeholder issue. Tackling the problem on a wider scale requires collaboration with various partner organizations, and the College continues to advance these important partnerships.”