Citizenship and Immigration Committee on April 10th, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

As the motion has been agreed to, the debate is adjourned. We now invite the witnesses from the ICCRC to come forward.

I welcome the second panel for today's hearing. They are from the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council. Once again, we have before us Mr. Lawrence Barker, who is the acting president and chief executive officer; Mr. Christopher Daw, who is the chair of the board of directors; and Ms. Hafeeza Bassirullah, who is the director of education.

There's no opening statement.

Ms. Dzerowicz, you have seven minutes, please.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you again to the witnesses for appearing again before the committee. We appreciate it, and thanks for your patience today.

I have a series of questions. They seem to be a bit all over the place, so I hope you'll forgive me. We're nearing the end of this study, and I think we've been hearing some contradictory things and some different ideas.

I don't want a long explanation, because I only have seven minutes and a lot of questions. You can follow up with more direct stuff. In order to become an immigration consultant and register with the ICCRC, are there any minimal educational requirements?

Also, is there a need for an upgrade, and how often?

[Hafeeza Bassirullah, Director of Education, Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council]

To become an immigration consultant, an individual must first complete an education program. There are accredited education providers that are accredited by the board, and we have strengthened and modernized the education program that was implemented by the previous regulatory body. That program was 180 instructional hours in length. We've increased that to 500 hours. We are seeing the first cohorts of the program currently.

We also have a licensing exam, and the exam is overseen by experts in the testing and measurement industry. They make sure that we abide by the international standards and best practices.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

So every single person who's registered has to go through this...?

[Hafeeza Bassirullah]

That's correct.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Okay.

What education is done to ensure the public is aware and educated around immigration consultants, what their role is, and who's legal and who's not, here in Canada? Is it offered in multiple languages? What kind of education campaign exists right now?

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

It appears that the bells have started. I'll pause for a moment. The committee can agree to continue, probably for another 10 minutes.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I'm fine with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Is there unanimous consent?

[An hon. member]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Okay, thank you.

Please continue.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Could someone answer the question, please?

[Lawrence Barker, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, Registrar, Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council]

As part of Fraud Prevention Month we issue a number of videos in multiple languages. This year, for March 2017, they were issued on social media in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Hindi.

In response to questions, the last time we appeared before the committee concerning members of the public being aware of filing complaints, we have actually responded to that. I'm pleased to announce that in the time since we were last here, our communications department has produced a video that is now available on Facebook, and as of last Friday it has received 50,000 views. It talks about how members of the public using immigration services can file a complaint if they're dissatisfied with their consultant.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

In terms of just general public education around immigration consultants, is that done abroad? Often now we're starting to educate about our immigration process at the different embassies, so it helps to facilitate those who want to immigrate to Canada through our system.

Have you done a little bit of that through our embassies or has that been thought of?

[Lawrence Barker]

Not specifically through the embassies, but we do produce awareness advertising in local ethnic papers. We are also contemplating an expanded advertising campaign that will be part of next year's fiscal budgeting, which is being put together right now.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I have a last question, and then I'm going to cede to my colleague, Mr. Anandasangaree.

I want to look at the root cause of why immigration consultants are even needed. I often ask this question, because as we're debating whether we need immigration consultants or whether we should just leave it all with lawyers, in my head I think, why can't people just know that they can apply online for a temporary foreign worker application or for a visa?

Mr. Daw, you've been an immigration consultant for a number of years. Is the system just still too complicated, and is that the number one reason that people are using immigration consultants?

I'd like to get to the root of why people are using immigration consultants, and to be honest, I'd like to eliminate as much as I can and get people to just use the system so that there's less need for immigration consultants.

[Christopher Daw, Chair of the Board of Directors, Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council]

I often tell potential clients that filing an immigration application is a lot like doing your taxes. The information is all out there on websites, in regulations, in law, but trying to make sense of it in terms of your own personal situation is not always easy.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Is that the number one reason? Is it just too complicated for them?

[Christopher Daw]

Many people just want someone to handle it for them.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Okay, and it's because they're scared they might make a mistake.

[Christopher Daw]

Or they don't have the time or the expertise or feel they have the capability to do it.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

But is it because people who are coming to Canada feel that the only way they can get through the system is if they hire someone?

[Christopher Daw]

I can't speak to the reason why everybody would need to hire someone. I can tell you from conversations I've had with clients in my office that it's usually a combination of confusion around the rules, the complexity of the system, and the many different categories and the way they all interrelate to go from visitor to student to worker.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I'm also assuming it's the language, the availability only in English and French.

[Christopher Daw]

That could be part of it as well. It would depend on your client base.