CSIC failed to develop an industry plan

Backgrounder


The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration: Addressing Concerns Regarding the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants

Despite the establishment in 2004 of the Canadian Society for Immigration Consultants (CSIC), complaints about the regulation of immigration consultants have continued. In April 2008, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration began a study on the issue of immigration consultants. The Committee travelled across Canada over a three-week period for a series of public hearings. During its travels, it heard from a number of witnesses, many of whom expressed great dissatisfaction with the way CSIC is governed. The Committee heard the following complaints.



•CSIC membership fees are too high;

•The CSIC membership examination was prepared and marked in a questionable way;

•CSIC failed to develop an industry plan;

•CSIC decision making lacks transparency and is not conducted democratically;

•The CSIC Board of Directors is not accountable to anyone;

•There is no possibility for CSIC members to call a special meeting of the Society;

•Compensation for, and the spending of, CSIC board members is extravagant, ill-advised and unaccounted for;

•CSIC board members are in a conflict of interest because they created, and currently serve on the board of, the Canadian Migration Institute, a related for-profit corporation;

•Many members had little choice but to pay $800 each to buy an outdated educational video in order to obtain sufficient continuing professional development points to maintain their CSIC membership;

•CSIC does not communicate with members, or provide services to members, equally in French and English;

•The ability of members to voice concerns about CSIC has been limited since the CSIC Rules of Professional Conduct were amended making it a professional offence to “undermine” CSIC and compelling members to treat CSIC with “dignity and respect”; and

•The CSIC website is set up in such a way that members cannot send bulk e-mail messages to all other members.*

Based on testimonies heard from witnesses during these hearings, the Committee adopted a report in June 2008 entitled Regulating Immigration Consultants that made a series of recommendations.





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*A copy of the complete 2008 Standing Committee Report, entitled Regulating Immigration Consultants, can be found on the Web at: www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?

DocId=3560686&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=2



Transcripts of witness testimonies can be found on the Web at: www2.parl.gc.ca/CommitteeBusiness/CommitteeMeetings.aspx?

Cmte=CIMM&Stac=2290170&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=2