Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants praises government action on
ghost agents and welcomes open dialogue on the future of regulation

TORONTO, June 8 /CNW/ - The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) today announced its support for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney's plan to crack down on unaccredited immigration ghost consultants and open a dialogue on the future of the regulation of consultants.

"Since CSIC's mandate is the protection of consumers of immigration consulting services we applaud Minister Kenney for taking bold and courageous action on ghost consultants, which present the greatest threat to those consumers. In fact, the course of action mirrors recommendations CSIC made to the Minister in early 2009," said CSIC Chair Nigel Thomson. "CSIC also embraces transparency so the regulatory review is also a very positive development."

The government will engage in an open review of the regulation of immigration consultants; groups interested in acting as regulator will be invited to apply and will face extensive public scrutiny. CSIC supports this initiative and intends to participate fully in the process.

"CSIC welcomes the opportunity to set the record straight and is confident that the Minister will see that the CSIC of 2010 is nothing like the CSIC of 2006," said Thomson. "In the last four years CSIC's maturity and regulatory sophistication has increased dramatically, and in fact CSIC has been recognized as a leader in good governance and has passed numerous external audits without issue."

While CSIC does not have the authority to prosecute ghost consultants, CSIC engages in active tracking of ghost activity and shares this information with appropriate law enforcement bodies. In addition, CSIC has engaged consumers to warn them about ghosts through National Immigrant Protection Day and several national ad campaigns. CSIC also provides a toll-free referral service that makes it easy for consumers to find a licensed immigration consultant.

While the Minister's review is underway CSIC will continue to act as regulator. CSIC will offer more detailed comments on Bill C-35 once it has had a chance to review it in more detail.

The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants is the professional regulatory body for Certified Canadian Immigration Consultants. Established in 2004 it currently has over 1,700 fully accredited members located throughout Canada and the world. CSIC's mandate is to protect consumers of immigration consulting services. Consequently, it is responsible for ensuring the education, competency testing and the discipline of its members. CSIC also requires its members to carry errors and omissions insurance and to contribute to a compensation fund in order to protect consumers. The best way to find a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC) is via CSIC's toll free referral line, 1-877-311-7926.

For further information: Nancy Tibbo, [phone], Toll Free: 1-866-308-CSIC (2252), [email protected]