March 8, 2022—Ottawa—Canada continues to welcome a record number of newcomers to live in, work in, and visit Canada, and high-quality immigration advice should be available for those who need and rely on it. The Government of Canada is committed to strengthening the regulation of immigration and citizenship consultants, and to holding them to the highest possible professional standards.

On November 23, 2021, the Government of Canada marked a major milestone in this commitment with the opening of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants—the official regulator for immigration and citizenship consultants across Canada. The College, which licenses immigration and citizenship consultants to advise and represent immigration and citizenship clients in applications with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, is self‑governed by a board of directors consisting of 9 individuals.

Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the appointment of the following 5 public interest directors to the board:

• Ben Rempel, Former Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration, Manitoba
• Jennifer Henry, Senior Program Development and Strategy Lead, The United Church of Canada
• Normand Beaudry, Director of International Recruitment, Université Laval, and Treasurer/Member, CALDO Consortium
• Timothy D’Souza, Senior Vice President, Finance and Business Operations, Diabetes Canada
• Nicholas Summers, Former Provincial Director/CEO, Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission

Each of the public interest directors has been appointed for a 2-year term, beginning March 7, 2022.

Update: On May 30, 2022, following the resignation of a member of the board,  the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, appointed Jyoti Singh, Executive Director of Nellie’s (a community-based feminist organization), Public Interest Director to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Ms. Singh has been appointed  for a term ending on March 6, 2024.

The new College, including the appointment of public interest directors, increases government oversight of the consultant profession. These improvements will help better protect immigration and citizenship clients and strengthen the integrity of the consulting industry. The College is a key pillar in the government’s efforts to fight fraud in Canada’s immigration system.