Evidence of meeting #29 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was csic.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Immigration Consultant and Member, Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, As an Individual
I will wind up. In addition to passing that, the society requires that its entrance exams be passed.
There are many other good points to the society. There's a 24-hour hotline for members of the public.
In my opinion, it's come a long way. I believe the society should continue to act as a professional regulatory body of licensed members who meet the professional standards.
Thank you.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Thank you very much, Mr. Tencer.
Mr. Oliphant, you have up to seven minutes.
October 27th, 2010 / 4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Tencer, I'm a little confused. This committee is discussing legislation to make significant changes. In this legislation, it says that the minister, not us, will appoint a regulatory body. Unilaterally, the minister is able to hire and fire a group of people to be the regulatory body.
You've made a very impassioned appeal on behalf of one of those possible applicants. Do you think Parliament will have a say in picking this body?
4:50 p.m.
Immigration Consultant and Member, Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, As an Individual
My answer to you, Mr. Oliphant, is the following: that's actually one of the comments I have on Bill C-35 and particularly on proposed subsection 91(5), where it says, of course, that the minister “may designate a body...”. Rather than the minister having this extraordinary power, it's my respectful submission that a body ought to be set up--or possibly in cabinet or with a committee of some sort--and they are the ones who should decide whether the society should continue--that is, CSIC--or a new regulatory body should be set up.
I'm not totally experienced in politics. It's not an area that I profess expertise in, but I believe that a certain body or cabinet, after discussions and meetings, ought to decide whether the society, CSIC, should continue or a new one should be appointed--
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Tencer. I'm going to interrupt you because my time is limited, but that was my concern. Because you're making an appeal without having said that in fact the legislation will not do that. The legislation is not like a regulatory body for other professions.
This is a unique situation, so I wanted to clarify that this was your concern. Because we won't have any say over what body does this work. We're simply not involved in it. This legislation is quite determinedly pointing in another direction.
Thank you. I just wanted to clarify that.
Let me practice this name--I'm like our chair--Madame Deravedisyan-Adam.
4:50 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
Just use “Adam”, please.
4:50 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
Oui. C'est parfait.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Ça suffit?
Ms. Adam, there are two subjects I would like to address: the program and the governance for the program.
Under the program, in Quebec, are there other opportunities, other continuing education programs or initial training?
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
There are two. In Quebec, to get training in order to write the exam to become an immigration consultant, you have to take the training in English offered in the various institutions certified by the CSIC or enrol in the well-known online program, e-Academy. That program is also offered in French. That's what there is at the moment.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
We have about 150 in Quebec.
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
One hundred fifty: one, five, zero.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
How many people who are not members of the CSIC do you think are practising the administration of justice and consultant work in Quebec?
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
We could easily say four, five, six or seven. The figures may be unbelievably high because at the moment, for example, it is very easy to call yourself a consultant. That's why I made a comment about the term “consultant” just now, which is misused, which is used to cover just about anything. Very simply, someone can very well enrol today at Lasalle College, take an immigration consultant training course, that's what the diploma is still called, hang the diploma up in their office and then go and get a nice document from the ministère de la Justice with the seal of the ministère, saying “commissioner of oaths”, and hang it up. The regulations at Immigration Québec are coming in just in time to control all that.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Is it possible to run your operation of the institute in Quebec at a cost-recovery level or do you need les subventions or une bourse, to do that?
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
When you say institution, you're talking about the CSIC, probably?
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
Right. For that organization, for the moment, we do not get any subsidies at all, from the government or otherwise. We are totally independent.
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
Yes, to my knowledge. At the provincial level, in any event, I have never personally had to solicit funding from any government department or anywhere else.
4:55 p.m.
Immigration Consultant, Ideal Canada, As an Individual
The Canadian Migration Institute is in fact, at the moment, still a for-profit organization, but that kind of information is handled by head office in Toronto.