Maple News reports that Canada has unveiled a new regulatory framework allowing clients to recover losses incurred since 2021 from immigration consultants registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). The regulations took effect on July 15, 2026, creating a compensation fund accessible to clients of professionals licensed by the CICC.
Eligible clients can reclaim losses arising from dishonest acts committed on or after November 23, 2021—the date the CICC assumed regulatory authority.
A dishonest act is defined as a licensee knowingly providing false or misleading information or advising a client to provide such information. The category also covers theft, fraud, misappropriation of funds, and violations of procedures for professional liability insurance.
To qualify, a claimant must have hired a CICC licensee or reasonably concluded that the licensee had agreed to provide services, and the client must not have voluntarily participated in or contributed to the dishonest act.
Compensation payments will be issued from a separate fund maintained by the CICC, which also has the authority to pursue licensees to recover disbursements from the fund, plus fees and expenses.
Under Canadian law, all immigration advice providers must be licensed—either by a provincial or territorial law society (for example, as an immigration lawyer) or by the CICC (as a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or RISIA). The CICC operates as an independent, self-governing regulatory body under the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act.
Industry observers say the framework strengthens consumer protection and accountability in immigration services, potentially deterring misconduct and boosting trust among clients.