GI-2024-51-reg3: College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Regulations

If you are a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor, these regulations directly affect how you are licensed, monitored, and disciplined. You will be subject to random compliance verifications with reasonable notice, stricter conduct standards, and potential monetary penalties up to $50,000 for professional misconduct — plus licence suspensions of up to two years. A new compensation fund means that clients who lose money due to your dishonest acts can be compensated (averaging around $4,652 per case), and the College can sue you to recover those payments. If the compensation fund runs short, your annual licensing fees could increase to top it up. The RIAS estimates total implementation costs to the College of approximately $24.2 million over 10 years, driven largely by new staffing, investigations, hearings, and fund administration — costs that are ultimately borne by the licensee-funded College.