The College of Immigration Consultants of Canada has summarized the results of its work for 2025
Nearly 5,400 illegal consulting websites have been shut down, and satisfaction with education has exceeded 90%.
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) — the organization that licenses and regulates immigration consultants in Canada — has released its 2025 report, showing important results in protecting the public and advancing the profession.
Key Achievements
The College continued to strengthen professional practice standards. Licensee satisfaction with educational programs reached 90% or higher. Important changes were implemented in disciplinary processes, which helped resolve historical complaint cases and reduce wait times for new cases.
Since November 2021, nearly 85% of inherited historical cases have been resolved. Despite an increase in new complaints in the past fiscal year, the total number of open cases decreased by 10%.
Fighting Fraud
One of the College's top priorities remains fighting unauthorized practitioners (UAPs) — unlicensed "consultants" who pose a serious threat to the public. Over the past year, 5,390 websites and social media pages advertising unauthorized practitioners were shut down.
A new multilingual marketing campaign was launched to educate the public about immigration fraud. The campaign ran on social media both within Canada and in 16 top immigration source countries, including India, the Philippines, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and others.
Advertising materials were posted in six languages: English, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese. The results are impressive: 210 million impressions, transit ads in Canada received 6.8 million impressions. Overall, the campaign drove 507,160 users to the public registry over a two-month period.
Consultant Statistics
As of June 30, 2025:
- 11,994 Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) are authorized to provide services
- 470 new RCICs received licenses over the past year
- 507 Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIA) work with international students
- 99 new RISIAs were licensed during the year
- 2,076 consultants hold the specialized RCIC-IRB license to represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
The attrition rate among RCICs was 6%, representing 753 resignations, license revocations, and deaths. Among RISIAs, the attrition rate is 7%.
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Geography: 98% of RCICs live in Canada, while 2% work internationally in 57 countries. Most licensees are in Ontario (5,391), followed by British Columbia (2,963) and Quebec (1,097).
Complaints and Disciplinary Actions
The College monitors licensees' compliance with the Code of Professional Conduct through a fair complaint investigation process. For the period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025:
- 1,211 new complaint cases against consultants were opened
- 1,366 cases were closed through various means
- 1,375 cases remain open as of June 30, 2025
Important statistic: 68% of all open cases involve just 1% of consultants — that's 126 people. This means the vast majority of consultants work without issues, and problems are concentrated among a small group.
Cases were closed at different stages: 423 at intake, 401 through early resolution, 170 after investigations, 272 by the Complaints Committee, and 99 by the Discipline Committee. During the year, 7 license suspension decisions and 8 revocations were issued.
Since February 2025, the public registry has become more user-friendly — now information about disciplinary proceedings, past decisions, and a consultant's current status is available in just a few clicks. This helps you choose a reliable professional.
Education and Professional Development
The College provides programs to maintain and enhance licensees' knowledge and skills. Last year, satisfaction levels exceeded 90% across all programs. To meet growing demand, the College increased capacity by adding more cohorts.
The specialization program provides RCICs with the necessary knowledge to practice safely and ethically before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Since its launch, over 1,700 licensees have completed the program, including over 350 last year. An important milestone was the completion by the 100th cohort in June 2025.
The mentorship program for new licensees is designed to improve competency through hands-on experience in a group format. Since its launch in 2021, 947 licensees have enrolled in the program, including 579 last year. Over 100 experienced consultants have volunteered to serve as mentors.
Over the past year, 564 practice management education sessions were held in English and French. The courses guide licensees in applying the Code, regulations, and bylaws. The College also requires licensees to participate annually in continuing professional development activities.
Research and Government Engagement
In July 2024, the College launched its first research fellowship. The research will inform strategies to increase public awareness and accessibility of licensees' services. The research is being conducted in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University with funding from Mitacs.
The College also conducted a comprehensive comparative study in 2025, which confirmed the relevance of competency frameworks for RCIC and RISIA practice. These frameworks define professional expectations and are the foundation of an effective licensing system.
Over the past year, the College held meetings with federal and provincial government officials across the country. Preventing immigration fraud was a key topic. The College participated in 7 industry conferences in Canada and the United States.
New College Act Regulations
The College is preparing for final approval of new College Act regulations. The new regulations will complete the regulatory framework for effectively managing licensees and protecting the public.
The regulations have been in development since the College's continuation in 2021 and will impact how the profession is regulated. The Government of Canada published the draft regulations on December 14, 2024 and opened a 45-day consultation period, which closed in February 2025.
After conducting surveys and webinars, the College submitted a detailed comment letter to the government. Three areas will have the greatest impact: a new compensation fund for those harmed by consultants' actions, an improved public registry, and expanded regulator powers.
How to Become an Immigration Consultant in Canada
To get an RCIC license, you need to complete a program at Queen's University or Université de Montréal. For RISIA — a program at the Canadian Bureau for International Education.
If you need help with immigration to Canada, work only with licensed consultants. You can book a consultation with an immigration consultant to discuss your options.
