Canada cracks down on fraudulent immigration consultants

In a crackdown on fraudulent immigration consultants, Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced the creation of a new regulatory body to oversee activities of immigration consultants.

"There are people who sometimes seek to unethically make a profit by exploiting the hopes and dreams of newcomers," said Kenney, who was aghast to see rows of billboards announcing guaranteed immigration to Canada in Chandigarh last year.

"These unlicensed, unregistered, unscrupulous consultants give the profession a black eye by taking thousands of dollars from individuals -- often in cash and all too often providing nothing in return," he said.

"The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council will enhance the protection of the Canadian public and those who use the services of immigration consultants," the minister said.

"I am confident that, with the ICCRC's strong regulation of immigration consultants, people using our immigration processes will, be offered quality consultation, representation and advice," he said.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has said that the process of establishing the ICCRC will take a few months. In the transitional period, the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, which hasn't functioned in the manner it was expected to, will continue to represent or advice applicants. 

According to the CIC, those who 'have recently hired or plan to hire an immigration consultant, can continue to use their services.'

"It is proposed that, starting the day that the regulatory changes come into force, your consultant would be given a transitional period of time in which to register with the ICCRC," the department added. "The proposed regulatory changes would only affect immigration consultants and not anyone who is a lawyer or a member in good standing of the Chambre Des Notaries Du Quebec."

The new body, answerable to the CIC, will be charged with ensuring that consultants are properly licensed and policed. The bill providing for the establishment of the ICCRC will reportedly require those who act as consultants for pay to be licensed, and will include stiff penalties and criminal charges for bogus operators.

Kenney has also been urging his counterparts in immigration source countries -- including India and Pakistan -- to strengthen their relevant laws to regulate the functioning of consultants at source. He has met Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal twice with this request.

Image: Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal