Opening Date for Immigration Consultants College
Order Fixing the Date of Continuance as the Day on Which Section 293 and Subsections 296(1) to (3) of that Act Come into Force: SI/2021-31
This order fixes the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants’ “date of continuance” to be the day on which section 293 and subsections 296(1)–(3) of the Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 come into force. It brings into force amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Citizenship Act so licensed members of the new College can continue to represent or advise clients for a fee and replaces references to the ICCRC with the College.
- Published
- June 23, 2021
- Department
- Unavailable
- Section
- Order Fixing the Date of Continuance as the Day on Which Section 293 and Subsections 296(1) to (3) of that Act Come into Force
- Comment deadline
- Unavailable
- Effective date
- Unavailable
- Publication part
- Part II
Summary
Summary#
This is the Order titled Order Fixing the Date of Continuance as the Day on Which Section 293 and Subsections 296(1) to (3) of that Act Come into Force: SI/2021-31. It ties the official opening day of the new regulator for immigration and citizenship consultants (the College) to the day certain parts of the Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 come into force. The Order was registered on June 23, 2021 (P.C. June 10, 2021).
What it does#
- Fixes the “date of continuance” (the day the College becomes operational) to be the day that section 293 and subsections 296(1) to (3) of the Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 come into force.
- Brings into force changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Citizenship Act so that licensed members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants can represent or advise clients for a fee.
- Replaces references to members of a “designated body” (currently the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC)) with members in good standing of the College.
- Ensures there is no break in authority for licensed consultants on the day the College opens. The Order does not name a calendar date itself; it links the College’s opening to when the listed sections come into force.
Who's affected#
- Licensed immigration and citizenship consultants currently regulated by the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC).
- People who pay for immigration or citizenship advice or representation (for example, newcomers and applicants).
- The new College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, which will take over regulatory responsibilities.
- Provincial and territorial governments and other stakeholders that were consulted about the change may need to note the shift in the federal regulator.
Why it matters#
- It prevents a gap where paid consultants might suddenly lose their legal authority to act for clients when the new regulator starts.
- The new College, created by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act, is intended to be a stronger regulator with greater powers to investigate, discipline, suspend or revoke licences, and improve public protection against fraudulent or unscrupulous consultants.
- For clients, this aims to increase trust that licensed advisers are properly overseen and that bad actors can be dealt with more effectively.
Key topics
Source: Canada Gazette