RCICs and RISIAs must meet their ongoing professional obligations to maintain their licence In Good Standing. This article sets out these obligations and provides clarification to assist licensees with compliance.
Annual Renewal
Every year in June, licensees must complete the Annual Renewal. This ensures that the College has accurate contact and compliance information to keep the Public Register up to date. Maintaining an up-to-date public register is a requirement of the College Act.
Annual fees
Annual fees finance the College’s programs that help licensees meet required standards and protect the public. They are payable at the time of Annual Renewal. Annual fees may be paid all at once or in quarterly instalments.
CPD
Licensees must maintain their competence and currency in immigration law and processes throughout their careers. Each year, RCICs must complete 16 hours and RISIAs must complete 6 hours of qualifying Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and attest to completion as part of the Annual Renewal process.
PME courses
Practice Management Education courses (PME) are provided by the College at no cost to licensees. PME provides RCICs with the competency-based education, tools and resources they need to maintain a competent practice and ensure public protection.
RCICs must complete at least 1 PME course within 3 months of becoming a licensee and the balance of all other mandatory courses within 12 months of obtaining their licence. Failure to complete required PME courses results in suspension of licence.
Professional liability insurance
For the protection of the public, all licensees must maintain professional liability insurance. RCICs must participate in the College’s Professional Liability Insurance program unless exempted under the regulations. This requirement remains in effect even when a licensee is on an approved Leave of Absence. RISIAs must also provide proof of professional liability insurance, which may be provided by the employing educational institution.
Ongoing programs
- Licensees who received their Letter of Authority on or after July 1, 2022 must complete the New-Licensee Mentoring Program (Supervised Practice Stream).
- Licensees that represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) or wish to do so must complete the Specialization Program, successfully pass the Specialization Exam and obtain the RCIC-IRB class of licence before July 1, 2023. Licensees who fail to do so will not be permitted to appear before IRB tribunals after that date.
FAQs
What if I am not currently practising?
Applications for Leave of Absence must be sent to registrar@college-ic.ca prior to the quarterly billing cycle.
Licensees that wish to apply for a Leave of Absence or resign In Good Standing must be up to date with all annual fees, other fees, fines and penalties owing to the College.
What if I cannot pay my annual fees?
As per the Annual fees, other fees, fines and penalties Regulation, a licensee experiencing temporary financial hardship may apply to the Registrar in writing for consideration of a time-limited payment plan in order to meet financial obligations to the College.
What are the implications of non-compliance?
Failing to comply with professional obligations can result in fines, suspension, and revocation of licence. Suspension for non-compliance with professional obligations carries the same consequences as a disciplinary suspension. Licensees under suspension are not permitted to practise or to use the designations RCIC or RISIA. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the IRB are informed of suspended licensees promptly and will not accept or process applications submitted by suspended licensees or permit them to appear on behalf of clients. The Public Register will also show you as “suspended.”
What are the consequences of being suspended?
Pursuant to the By-laws and regulations, if you are a suspended licensee, you must immediately:
- Remove from public view, and return to the College, your licensing certificate and photo identification (if one has also been issued to you).
- Not accept any new clients.
- Notify your existing clients that you cannot continue to represent them and EITHER
o return any outstanding work to your clients, together with any unearned money on deposit in your client account, so each client may seek a new qualified and authorized representative; or
o after seeking the clients’ permission, transfer their files to another authorized representative who will represent them.
- Stop using your designation including distributing any business cards, advertising or promotional materials that state or imply that you are a College licensee until you have been reinstated by the College to “Active” status.
Can I be reinstated after being suspended?
Suspended licensees are given a deadline to address the reason for suspension in the Notice of Suspension. Suspended licensees who fail to do so will receive a subsequent warning of pending revocation with a deadline for response. Failure to respond adequately results in automatic Revocation of Licence without further warning.
What are the consequences if my licence is revoked?
The consequences of revocation are serious. Revocation of licence means that you are no longer a licensee of the College and no longer authorized to provide or offer to provide Canadian immigration or citizenship advice or services to the public. You are also no longer entitled to call yourself an RCIC or RISIA. IRCC and the IRB are informed of revoked licensees promptly and will not accept or process applications submitted by such former licensees or permit them to appear on behalf of clients. The Public Register will also show you as “revoked.” Revocation is a permanent status. Revoked former licensees may apply to become licensed. However, such applications are subject to the licensing requirements applicable to new licensees, including completion of the Graduate Diploma Program.
Any former licensee who continues to practise after revocation contravenes Canadian law and is subject to prosecution as an unauthorized practitioner.