This article is part of a series designed to provide a better understanding of the profession and address topics raised at the 2022 Inaugural General Meeting (IGM).
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act (College Act) states the purpose of the College is to regulate immigration and citizenship consultants in the public interest and to protect the public. The College establishes and administers qualification standards, standards of practice and continuing education requirements for licensees.
Highlighting the College’s outreach activities
To promote our role as a regulator, strengthen stakeholder relations and connect with key audiences both in Canada and abroad, the College develops and executes international, multilingual, and multi-channel marketing campaigns, and participates in key stakeholder events.
Strengthening stakeholder relations
1. Government – The College holds information sessions on our role, standards required from immigration consultants, how to find a licensed immigration consultant on our Public Register and tips on how to prevent fraud with Members of Parliament, Senators and other key government stakeholders.
2. Education – The College is committed to sustaining high standards in immigration consultancy and supporting the lifelong learning needs of RCICs. We work with Queen’s University, the University of Montréal, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), Continuing Professional Development (CPD) providers and the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). We also host sessions for designated learning institutions, focusing on the regulatory requirement to use licensees when providing immigration advice and services, and the value RISIAs bring to the international education space.
3. Conferences and events – The College meets with settlement agencies, attends conferences, career fairs and other relevant events to promote our role as a regulator and the importance of working with a licensed immigration consultant.
Reaching a global audience
1. During Fraud Prevention Month in March, the College’s annual awareness campaign aims to inform those in Canada and abroad about the risks of working with unauthorized practitioners who impersonate immigration consultants to assist with immigration applications. The College’s global digital media ad campaign spreads its anti-fraud message, helping those most at risk know which steps to take to protect themselves against unauthorized practitioners, where to find our publicly available tools to help prevent fraud and how to access our Public Register.
2. The College undertakes other global digital campaigns to raise awareness about the College and the importance of using licensed immigration consultants. The Always On campaign ran from September 2022 to May 2023 and focused on reaching potential immigrants in Morocco, Tunisia, Haiti, Algeria, Dubai, Turkey, South Africa, Bangladesh, Mexico, Canada and the United States. The initiative had a combined reach of 25,535,000 impressions and ads appeared in English, French, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish and Bengali.
3. The College’s Consumer Guide features important questions to ask a Canadian immigration consultant before accepting any services, and is available in English, French and 17 other languages.
Raising public awareness and strengthening stakeholder relations are key areas of focus for the College. We will continue to develop and implement effective strategies to support this work.