Public Interest Director Appointed to College Board

Summary#

• The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship appointed Gagan Jot (Jyoti) Singh as a Public Interest Director on the Board of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
• The appointment took effect on May 30, 2022 and is expected to run until March 6, 2024 under the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act.

What it does#

• Fills a vacancy on the College’s board after the resignation of a director by appointing Gagan Jot (Jyoti) Singh as a Public Interest Director starting May 30, 2022 and anticipated to end March 6, 2024.
• Confirms the College’s board makeup: an initial board of five minister-appointed Public Interest Directors and four directors who are members of the College.
• Notes that ministerial appointees represent the public interest and, by this appointment, do not become part of the federal public service.
• Says the selection was carried out through an open, merit-based process with a public Notice of Opportunity.

Who's affected#

• People who use immigration or citizenship consultants, including newcomers and applicants, because the College regulates the profession that advises them.
• Registered immigration and citizenship consultants and members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, since the board oversees regulation and discipline.
• The College itself, which needs a full board to run and supervise its activities.

Why it matters#

• This is a routine governance move, but it keeps the new regulator fully staffed so it can operate.
• A functioning board helps the College carry out its stated goal: protecting the public and honest consultants from unscrupulous or fraudulent actors.
• For consumers, having appointed Public Interest Directors is meant to increase oversight and public accountability of the consultant profession.