This month’s installment of Tips for Professional Conduct focuses on obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct for licensees to make sure the business they are working for is registered with the College of Citizenship and Immigration Consultants.
Using Your Name to Advertise Services
Under the marketing of immigration or citizenship consulting services in the Code, Section 44, licensees must provide their name, as registered with the College, to be prominently displayed near the beginning of any advertisement of services. Ads must also include the website address to the College’s Public Register of licensees.
Only Advertise with Organizations Registered with the College
The Business and Business Name Registration Regulation outlines the requirements for licensees when it comes to providing immigration or citizenship consulting services to the public. Licensees must only provide services through businesses or employers that are registered with the College. Licensees cannot provide services to the public without registering a business or employer with the College or they will appear as not eligible to provide service on the Public Register. Requirements and descriptions for business names are outlined in the Regulations, and changing a business name must be approved by the College.
Be Cautious of Solicitation
Licensees should be cautious if approached by a call centre offering client referrals. Collaborating with an unauthorized practitioner (UAP) can breach the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Code. This can also have serious consequences for clients, potentially leading to legal issues during the immigration process and financial loss. It can also damage a licensee’s reputation and the public’s trust in the immigration consulting profession. Licensees should be cautious of promises that seem too good to be true, claims of partnerships with other licensees that cannot be verified and refusals to provide service agreements or invoices. Licensees can verify a business's claim by contacting any licensee(s) associated with that business. This information is available on the Public Register.
RCICs and RISIAs must abide by the Code of Professional Conduct, which sets out the required standards of professional conduct and competence.
Licensees must not mislead the public with claims guaranteeing the success of an application or claim that they have a relationship with the Government of Canada or any provincial government. Any endorsements from former clients must be true and approved by the client in writing.