Starting July 15, 2026, new College Regulations will allow eligible individuals access to compensation if they have a proven financial loss due to a licensed consultant’s dishonest actions.
What is the Compensation Fund?
It is a fund to compensate individuals who have a proven financial loss because of the dishonest act of a licensee.
Dishonest act includes:
- Theft, fraud, misappropriation of funds
- Misrepresentation or counselling misrepresentation
- Knowingly failing to report a claim or cooperate with Professional Liability Insurance
Who may be eligible to make a claim to the Compensation Fund?
Individuals who:
- Use a College licensee at the time they received immigration or citizenship services;
- File a complaint through the College’s complaint process; and
- Meet the criteria below including, but not limited to:
Complaints closed prior to July 15, 2026, and duplicate complaints will not be eligible.
Before you file a complaint, you should try to resolve the issues with the licensee directly.
A maximum payout of $7,000 will apply to each successful claim.
Will the Compensation Fund replace civil litigation or other legal options?
The Compensation Fund will not replace other legal avenues.
The Compensation Fund is intended to complement existing complaint handling processes and not replace civil litigation. The College encourages complainants to pursue civil remedies in parallel with filing a complaint.
An individual who receives compensation from the Compensation Fund may still pursue financial restitution through the courts.
An individual who has already been made whole via the courts or an insurance payout will not be eligible to access the Compensation Fund.
How long does the claims process take?
An award of compensation from the Compensation Fund depends on proof of a dishonest act and an associated financial loss.
Disciplinary proceedings must be completed before a claim is considered, and the length of these proceedings varies. Compensation Fund awards can take considerable time to be finalized after a committee’s finding.
Once referred to the Compensation Fund Committee, a decision on your claim will be made within a reasonable amount of time based on meeting frequency, claim volumes and completeness of the claim.
A collaborative approach
The College remains focused on preparing the necessary operational, governance, and communications structures to support the Compensation Fund and potential claimants. This includes ensuring that the Compensation Fund is administered in a manner that upholds the integrity of the immigration consulting profession, supports public confidence, and maintains the long-term financial sustainability of the Compensation Fund.
As we work to fully operationalize the Compensation Fund within a broader federal framework, ongoing coordination will be required to ensure that the Compensation Fund is structured in a way that is fair, consistent, and legally sound. These elements depend on the finalization of by-laws and supporting legal frameworks and will require careful coordination with government partners to ensure they are implemented effectively.
The information provided on this webpage is a guideline only and is not meant to be exhaustive or a formal legal interpretation of the entire regulatory framework. It will be impacted by future by-laws and policies as they are finalized. For further information, please refer to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants College Act (2019).
Questions?
If you have questions about the Compensation Fund, please contact cf-fi@college-ic.ca.
For media inquiries, please contact communications@college-ic.ca.