In this edition:
Keep Discovering our New Website
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants brings with it a brand-new website: www.college-ic.ca.
Highlights
- Login section for licensees
- More prominent access to the Public Register
- Easy way to switch between languages. The site also remembers your language choice
- Information for immigration stakeholders
The new licensee login section features links to the tools and information licensees need. For access to PME courses and course materials, simply login to the Practice Management Education section.
Licensee Insignias
Don’t forget to use your Insignia. They have been developed to:
- Reinforce the image of the profession
- Give potential clients the assurance that you are authorized to practise
How to download the RCIC or RISIA Insignia
- Go to the Login section of our website and click on the Login button under “Licensee Insignia”.
- You will be required to enter a password and click on the Login button. Please note that the password has been updated. Licensees in good standing received a new password by email on April 7.
Before you start using the Insignia read about the Regulation and the usage guidelines:
Logo Use and Associated Trade-Marks Regulation
Insignia Usage Guidelines for RCICs
Insignia Usage Guidelines for RISIAs
Licensees cannot use the College’s corporate logo nor the previous Council’s RCIC Insignia.
Send any questions to communications@college-ic.ca.
Keep visiting our website; we add information regularly.
Fraud Prevention Month 2022
In March, members of the Fraud Prevention Forum launched their annual Fraud Prevention Month campaign. The forum is co-chaired by the Competition Bureau, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). Now in its 18th year, the theme of this year’s forum focused on impersonation scams. According to the CAFC, 2021 was a historic year for reported fraud losses. You can learn more about the forum’s annual campaign here.
The College’s 2022 campaign featured various initiatives with the all-important message – verify the status of your immigration consultant. A recap of our campaign:
- The College engaged in a partnership with social media influencer Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon, to promote our College brand, as Canada’s regulator of immigration consultants. With a global audience of 200,000 Twitter followers, his enthusiastic, and positive messaging encouraged prospective immigrants to verify their consultant using our Public Register.
- The College promoted its new mobile app in foreign jurisdictions. The app provides important information on who can legally provide immigration advice, and a link to our Public Register. We encourage you to download the app to your mobile device. Scan the QR code to download the app.
- We developed 2 promotional videos in Hindi and Punjabi that share a personal narrative, emphasizing the importance of using immigration consultants licensed by the College. Through our established relationship with the High Commission of Canada in India, we have been working on ways to reach the prospective immigrant audience in India. Please visit our YouTube channel to watch them.
- The College dedicated a Fraud Prevention page on our website where the public can access our Consumer Guide and Top Tips to Prevent Immigration Fraud.
- Our successful global digital ad campaign reached 24 countries in 13 languages.
Although the campaign has come to an end, we encourage you to continue following our social media accounts and sharing our educational resources with your clients, colleagues, and friends.
If you have any questions, please reach out to DPAC at communications@college-ic.ca
Campaign Performance Summary
- Top 6 countries making up 56% of the total clicks in social media: Bangladesh, Algeria, Pakistan, India, Philippines and Cameroon
- Social media total reach: 10.2 million
- Total number of impressions: 108,000
- Click through rate: 0.29% (surpassing the industry benchmark of 0.08%-0.11%)
- Official hashtags #FPM2022 (in English) and #MPF2022 (in French) approximate reach: 30 million people on Twitter alone!
Is Mentorship for You?
Have you informally mentored a new licensee? Why not consider sharing your mentoring experience with the College by becoming a mentor in the forthcoming Mentoring Program. As a formal mentor, you will be recognized by the College and eligible to earn CPD hours for your participation. You will also have the opportunity to hone your leadership skills and increase your presence in the profession.
Perhaps you know of a licensee or licensees whose informal mentorship has positively impacted your career? Why not reach out and encourage them to apply to become a mentor. If every licensee reaches out to one colleague who has shaped their early career in the profession, we can together increase our pool of mentors and build a robust community of practice.
Participation as a mentor is open to licensees:
- in good standing with 5+ years of practice experience
- that have practice experience in at least ONE of the following areas of practice:
o Citizenship
o Economic Classes
o Family Classes
o Study Permit
o Temporary Foreign Workers
o Super Visa
o Refugee and Humanitarian Considerations
o Quebec-specific Classes
- that have not taken a leave of absence of more than 5 months in the past 5 years
- who are willing to commit 3-4 hours per month, for 9 to 12 months
How to apply to become a Mentor
Once we have confirmed your acceptance as a mentor for the Supervised Practice Stream, you will be asked to create your practice profile on our Mentoring Platform.
- Click on the button below to complete a brief application
- Once we have confirmed your acceptance as a mentor for the Supervised Practice Stream, you will be asked to create your practice profile on our Mentoring Platform.
Questions or concerns?
Send an email to mentoring@college-ic.ca.
APPLY NOW
Reminders
Updated By-law and Regulations
In preparation for the transition to the College, the Council’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the following documents on November 17, 2021:
- By-law – to ensure compliance with the College Act
- Regulations – to comply with the revised By-law and to update wording to reflect the College Act
By-laws and Regulations apply to all College licensees (RCICs and RISIAs) and came into effect on November 17, 2021. It is the responsibility of all licensees to be aware of their professional obligations as outlined in these documents.
Representation at IRB Tribunals Practice Restriction as of July 1, 2022
As of July 1, only licensees with a RCIC-IRB class of license will be authorized to retain clients, provide services, and/or represent any clients in matters related to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) (By-Law, s.10.4).
RCICs may only obtain the RCIC-IRB class of license through successful completion of Queen’s University or Université de Montréal’s Graduate Diploma Program and the College’s Entry-to-Practice Exam or both the College’s Specialization Program and Specialization Exam.
In the absence of receiving this license prior to July 1, 2022 an RCIC must ensure the following:
- Retainer Agreements must be terminated on or before July 1, 2022
- Existing clients must be informed and with client permission subsequently transferred to another authorized representative:
o RCIC-IRB
o Paralegal
o Lawyer
o Member of the Chambre des notaires du Québec
- Review the Client File Management Regulation for guidance on closing and transferring a client file
Please refer to the Eligibility to Obtain RCIC-IRB Class of License Policy.
Survey
Your opinion matters
Handling potential misconduct of fellow RCICs
We want to know your views on how licensees should handle situations where they observe possible misconduct and incompetence of their fellow colleagues.
Completing this anonymous survey should take no longer than 10 minutes. Your answers will build on our current understanding of this issue and help us establish a transparent and straight-forward mechanism for our licensees to address their concerns.
Affording RCICs an opportunity to identify conduct issues early on will ensure professional standards are upheld, protect the public, and enhance the reputation of the profession.
COMPLETE THE SURVEY
Outreach Activities
Staff from the Department of Public Affairs and Communications recently participated in 2 outreach events: Unlocking Our Potential, an event hosted by the Globe and Mail and Century Initiative, on April 6, and the Canadian Immigrant Virtual Fair on April 8.
Unlocking Our Potential brought together leading voices in immigration and economic development to discuss how Canada can foster innovation and attract newcomers. Attendees heard from various panellists, including industry experts and immigrant entrepreneurs. Chris May and Sabrina Cigana attended the event on behalf of the College. They met with Monica O’Brien, practising RCIC and Education Manager at the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC).
Chris and Sabrina also attended the virtual Canadian Immigrant Fair. This career fair connected immigrants and prospective newcomers to Canada looking for settlement information, education, careers, and employment opportunities. Over 60 participants visited the College’s virtual booth, and 16 resumes were uploaded.
This was the first Canadian Immigrant Fair the College has attended. Six are scheduled across Canada for this year. The next career fair will be held on May 3, 2022, in Halifax. John Murray, Chris May, and Sabrina Cigana will attend in-person to participate and showcase the College’s brand.
The College is looking for some talented professionals to join our team.
Do you or someone you know want to be part of a team that protects the public by overseeing regulated immigration and citizenship consultants and international student advisors?
Interested in any of these opportunities? Submit your resume and a brief cover letter indicating why you feel you are a fit for the role.
For more information on these positions and the most up-to-date College career postings, visit the College's Career page.
The College’s Tribunal Committee is an independent adjudicative committee that hears and decides regulatory cases about an RCIC in accordance with the College’s core values of fairness, transparency, and public protection.
Below are summaries of the most recent decisions of the Tribunal Committee. Full decisions are available, without charge, on the Canadian Legal Information Institute’s (CanLII) website at: https://www.canlii.org/en/ (please enter “ICCRC” or “College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants” in the “Document text” field).
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Discipline Committee Decision
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Licensee
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Sumit Sen, R418703
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Company Name/Location
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SEN Consultancy,
Toronto, ON
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Proceedings
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Written Discipline Hearing
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Finding
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The Discipline Hearing dealt with 3 complaints involving the RCIC.
Complaint #1
The RCIC was not forthright and honest with the client regarding the fees charged to him and those fees, namely for an LMIA, were not his costs to bear, but those of the employer. The RCIC did not serve honourably because he drafted a work experience letter knowing the client did not have the work experience stated. The RCIC advised the client that he had procured pre-approved LMIAs and told the client to pay for them or else the “external parties” would not proceed.
Complaint #2
The RCIC was not honest or candid when he advised his client that his IELTS results were “quite good” when they were inadequate to qualify for permanent residence under Express Entry. The RCIC did not provide quality service because the client experienced an excessive delay in the filing of his EES profile solely due to the RCIC’s lack of competence in this matter and the lack of timely communication with the client. The RCIC communicated with the client after the complaint was filed contrary to the Code.
Complaint #3
The RCIC had a clear conflict of interest by acting for both the client and the employer in the LMIA process without disclosing the same to the client or obtaining his informed consent. The RCIC improperly charged his client fees for a job offer and services related to an LMIA. It was unacceptable for the RCIC to prohibit the client from communicating with the employer.
A request for an oral hearing was made by the RCIC, the panel found that the RCIC did not provide a cogent and compelling evidence to establish that an oral adjudication was the only process that would allow him to challenge important testimony from a witness. Furthermore, the RCIC did not provide details to the panel regarding witness evidence that he wanted to challenge. Accordingly, the panel did not grant the request for oral hearing.
The RCIC requested to the panel to separate his 3 complaints. The panel considered that the RCIC did not dispute the consolidation of the 3 complaints during the Case Management Conferences, and the panel found that the RCIC did not provide any persuasive evidence to prove that the panel would not be able to adjudicate fairly on the 3 complaints in a thorough and distinct manner if they remained consolidated. Consequently, the panel did not grant the request.
The panel found that the RCIC breached articles 3.1, 3.2, 6.1, 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.1.3, 6.1.7, 15.1 of the 2012 Code, also articles 3.1.1, 5.1.1, 5.2.1, 6.1.1, 6.2.1, 7.1, 7.1.1, 9.1.1, 14.3.1 of the 2016 Code.
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Outcome
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The RCIC’s license is revoked. The RCIC shall pay a fine of $10,000 and repay to complainant #1 the amount of $2200, to Complainant #2 the amount of USD 3200, and to complainant #3 the amount of $6250.
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Costs
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Costs were ordered in the amount of $60,600.
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Discipline Committee Decision
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Licensee
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Sabri Hasan, R411791
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Company Name/Location
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Sabri For Immigration & Settlement
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Proceedings
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Written Disciplinary Hearing
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Finding
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Two former clients of the RCIC complained about his conduct to ICCRC (now the College).
The panel found that in each case the RCIC did not remain in regular communication with his client. In each case, when the government authorities requested further information, the RCIC either did not respond or responded by requesting an extension of time rather than acting to gather as much of the requested information as possible in the time remaining.
When the clients ended the relationship, the RCIC did not refund money owing to them. The RCIC also failed to return original documents to his clients upon request, either by not returning documents in his possession or by not retrieving them from the Canadian immigration authorities. In the case of the second complaint, these documents included the client’s marriage certificate, an obviously important record. The panel found that the RCIC had breached the 2012 Code while representing each of these clients.
In its decision on sanction, the panel noted that a traditional and often successful method of reducing the chances of re-offending is to require some remedial education. In light of the RCIC’s refusal to acknowledge any responsibility for his misconduct, the panel concluded that a penalty or fine was necessary to underline to the RCIC and to the immigration consultant profession that this conduct is unacceptable.
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Outcome
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The RCIC is to take the following PME courses within 18 months:
i. Managing an Immigration Consulting Practice;
ii. Client File Management; and
iii. Developing the RCIC and Client Relationship.
The RCIC is to pay a penalty of $1250, payable in 12 monthly instalments.
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Costs
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Costs were ordered in the amount of $6,258, payable in twelve monthly installments
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Discipline Committee Decision
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Licensee
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Robert Busby,R515176
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Company Name/Location
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B2 Immigration,
Vancouver, British Columbia
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Proceedings
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Written Disciplinary Hearing
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Finding
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The licensee admitted to forging his clients’ signatures on immigration forms without their knowledge or consent and submitting those forms to CIC as part of his clients’ spousal sponsorship application. After initially responding to the investigation, the licensee failed to participate in the adjudication process.
The panel found that the licensee acted in bad faith and dishonestly in forging his clients’ signatures, which was a serious violation of his obligations to the clients and to the proper administration of the immigration system. The licensee’s sloppy manner in preparing the applications was a breach of his duty to maintain quality service (Articles 6.1.1 and 6.2.1 of the Code). Having committed these breaches, the licensee failed to comply with his obligations under Article 13.2.1 (Acting After Discovering Something that May Be Damaging to a Client).
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Outcome
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Licensee suspended for 3 years; he can re-apply after 3 years only if he has complied in full with all terms of the Order. The licensee is to repay the complainant the sum of $3875 within 30 days and pay a fine of $5000 to the College within 6 months.
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Costs
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The licensee is to pay costs in the amount of $6637.50 to the College within 6 months.
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Discipline Committee Decision
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Licensee
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Eric Leung, R414191
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Company Name/Location
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HCDF Immigration Inc.,
Richmond, BC
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Proceedings
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Written Disciplinary Hearing
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Finding
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The Disciplinary hearing dealt with 2 complaints against the RCIC.
Complaint # 1
The issue was whether the RCIC should have returned the retainer monies to his client when she decided that she did not want to use his services any longer, and he had not yet provided any services to her.
The panel found that the RCIC had failed to serve the client honourably or to maintain the integrity of the profession of immigration consultants when he refused to refund the client her retainer monies. The panel noticed that while the RCIC may have been mistaken about the proper interpretation of the language of the Retainer Agreement, knowing that he had not provided any professional services to the client, he should have refunded her immediately upon her request.
Complaint # 2
The allegations are that the RCIC incompetently prepared the work permit applications (on 2 occasions), resulting in the rejection of the applications. It was further alleged that the RCIC failed to communicate with the client in a timely manner after his work permit applications were rejected.
The panel reviewed the 2 LMIA applications and found that they fell well below the standard of service that was expected in this matter. The errors in both applications were more than typographical errors; they went to the very heart of the LMIA application and were necessary components of a successful application. Therefore, the panel found that the RCIC failed to provide the client with the quality of service reasonably expected of an RCIC and that the RCIC breached his duty of competence, article 5.1 of the Code of Professional Ethics.
The panel found that the RCIC breached articles 6.1 (ii) and (iii) of the 2016 Code of Professional Ethics by failing to communicate with the client.
Furthermore, the panel found that his failure to advise the client that his 2 applications had been rejected and to take responsibility for the multiple errors in those documents demonstrated a lack of candour, breaching article 7.1 of the Code of Professional Ethics.
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Outcome
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From the date of the Order dated January 11, 2022, the licensee is suspended for a period of 3 months; ordered to take the following 3 PME courses within 3 months:
i. Developing the RCIC and Client Relationship
ii. Client File Management
iii. Managing an Immigration Consulting Practice
and within 30 days of the date the Order pay a fine to the College in the total amount $10,000.
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Costs
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Within 12 months from the date of the Order, the licensee is to pay costs to the College in the total amount of $19,000.
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Discipline Committee Decision
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Licensee
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Natasha Thompson, R420415
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Company Name/Location
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Monarch Consulting,
Edmonton, AB
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Proceedings
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Written Disciplinary Hearing
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Finding
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The Disciplinary hearing dealt with 2 complaints against the RCIC.
Complaint # 1
The panel found that the RCIC had a responsibility to inform the client of the return of the application package and/or discuss resending the package. The panel found that the RCIC did not maintain a quality of service, contrary to Article 6.1 of the Code. The panel further found that the RCIC was not honest and candid with the client, as required by to Article 7.1 of the Code, based on her admission that the RCIC failed to advise the client why the application was returned. The panel found that the RCIC did not conduct the client’s affairs in an efficient and cost-effective manner, contrary to Article 6.1 of the Code.
Furthermore, the client demanded a refund from the RCIC, who never responded. The panel found that the RCIC did not communicate with the client at all necessary stages in a timely and effective way, contrary to Article 6.1.
The RCIC did not advise the client that she was suspended and unable to act on his behalf. The panel found that the RCIC and her company were not honest and candid with the client. Additionally, by continuing to communicate with the client while under suspension, the panel found the RCIC breached Sections 2.2.9 (i)-(iii), 3.1. and 7.1 of the Code, and Sections 4.8 and 27.1 of the By-Laws.
The RCIC failed to return her Certificate of Membership and ID Card to ICCRC at the time of her suspension and based on this behaviour, the panel found that the RCIC breached Section 12.3 and Section 27.1 of the By-Laws.
Complaint # 2
The panel found that the delay in providing service to the client is in breach of Article 6.1 of the Code. The panel found that the subsequent services, rendered after the RCIC’s membership was suspended, were in breach of Sections: 2.2.9 (i)-(iii), 3.1, 6.1 and 7.1 of the Code. The RCIC was also in breach of Section 4.8 of the By-Laws.
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Outcome
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Revocation; RCIC to pay a fine in the amount of $10,000, however to be remitted if the RCIC complies with the return of the College Certificate of Membership and ID Card be the assigned deadline.
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Costs
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The RCIC is to pay costs in the amount of $20,850 paid in monthly instalments to the College.
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