Karen Gordon

    > "Karen Gordon" <> wrote
    >> CANADA REGULATES IMMIGRATION CONSULTANTS
    >> On December 13, 2003 the Canadian government introduced legislative
    >> amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations setting
    >> the stage for the regulation of immigration consultants in the Canadian
    >> immigration industry.
    >> The new rules require fee charging representatives to be a member in good
    >> standing by April 1, 2004, of either a provincial or territorial law
    >> society, the Chambre des notaries du Québec or the recently created
    >> Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC), a Canadian non-profit
    >> self-regulating body for immigration consultants.
    >> [....]
    >> The governments objective in introducing these amendments is therefore
    >> intended to protect applicants from unscrupulous representatives while
    >> preserving the integrity of Canada's increasingly complex immigration
    >> system.
    >> Effective APRIL 2004, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) officials
    >> will no longer deal with any fee-charging representative presenting new
    >> applications who are not a member of a provincial or territorial law
    >> society, the Chambre des notaries du Québec or who is registered with the
    >> Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants.
    >> _____________________________
    >> (K): Translation: If you're dealing with an 'Immigration Consultant',
    >> you'd better be sure he's been approved to do such work by the Canadian
    >> Immigration department.

"Andrew Miller" () writes:
    > Just a small although important correction:
    >
    > It is not Citizenship and Immigration department that "approves" immigration
    > consultants. As you can read in the material you quoted it is Canadian
    > Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) that has been established by
    > government to regulate immigration consultants.

(K): Well, actually, no. The Immigration Department of Canada will NOT
deal with the applications of any immigrant if they are handled by any
immigration consultant that has not been approved for membership in CSIC.

So, if you're using the services of an "immigration consultant" in Canada,
you'd better be sure that Canada's Immigration department has accepted him
or her into CSIC. Otherwise, you are as good as 'unrepresented' and your
money is wasted.
___________________________

The incorporation of CSIC on October 8 was the first step in fulfilling
Minister Coderre's vision of a fully regulated immigration consultant
industry.

As of April 2004, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations will
be amended. Thereafter, CIC and the Immigration and Refugee Board will
conduct business with representatives who charge fees for services ONLY IF
they are members in good standing of CSIC or a provincial or territorial
law society.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/press/03/0347-pre.html

Andrew Miller

This is exactly what we all know - that CIC will not deal with fee charging
consultants who are not members of CSIC.

But it doesn't mean that CIC will "approve" immigration consultants. This is
the role of CSIC and this is what CSIC was created for - to regulate
immigration consultants.

CSIC is not a part of CIC, thus CIC will have no role in accepting
applications for CSIC membership.

It is CSIC that has developed the process of application, examination and
approval of members - so, it is CSIC, not CIC, that is "approving"
eligibility and qualifications of immigration consultants.

Exactly as CIC will be doing with lawyers - CIC will not deal with lawyer
representing clients if such lawyer is not a member in good standing of
proper law society in Canada. So, by using your interpretation of the rules
it is the CIC that approves membership of lawyers in law societies - which
we all know is not the case.

Again - CIC will deal with lawyers and consultants that have been examined
and accepted as members of their respective regulatory societies. Those
societies decide who may be their members, not CIC.