Canada has set July 15, 2026, as the date for a significant overhaul of the regulatory framework governing the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

The Canadian law mandates that individuals receiving payment for immigration application preparation or advice must be licensed by a government-authorized body, such as a provincial or territorial law society, or the CICC.

The updated regulations empower the College to impose stricter penalties for consultant misconduct, while granting the federal government increased oversight and intervention authority with the College board.

Additionally, the regulations introduce a compensation fund to assist clients who have been ill-advised or defrauded by CICC members.

The government’s announcement of the July launch was made in a news release on May 6, 2026. These regulations were initially proposed as draft regulations in the Canada Gazette on December 21, 2024.

Compensation Fund

The compensation fund is designed to aid victims of unethical practices by CICC-licensed consultants, including theft, fraud, misappropriation of funds, misrepresentation, and failure to report claims or cooperate with insurance.

• To qualify, victims must file a formal complaint through the CICC’s process, with the discipline committee determining that the financial loss resulted from the consultant’s dishonest actions after November 23, 2021. The victim must not have been complicit in the act, and the committee’s decision must be post-dated July 15, 2026.
• Complaints closed before July 15, 2026, and duplicate complaints are ineligible for compensation.

The CICC will provide further information on eligibility, timing, payments, and the claims process once the fund is operational.

Additional Regulations Effective July 15

Other regulations mandate more detailed entries in the CICC’s public register of licensed consultants, which serves as the official record for Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) and Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs). This register verifies a consultant’s licensing status, standing, disciplinary history, and associated details.