fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
5th Jun 2012

How Canada’s Bill C-35 affects education agents

Update:

This post has been updated to reflect additional information provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada in August 2012 with respect to the impact of the introduction of Bill C-35 on education agents based outside of Canada. Please see our related post from 8 August 2012 for additional background and detail. In 2011, the Government of Canada passed new legislation—Bill C-35—that makes it illegal for anyone other than an accredited immigration representative to provide advice or otherwise represent a client during an application or proceeding with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). This post aims to help affected agents understand how Bill C-35 impacts their business; it’s based on a presentation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada officials at ICEF North America in Montreal in April, which we recently received permission to share.

Which agents does Bill C-35 affect?

Bill C-35 applies both to agents based in Canada as well as those based outside the country.

What is meant by “accredited immigration representatives”?

Those who are either members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council or lawyers authorised to practise in Canada.

What are the penalties for not abiding by Bill C-35?

Penalties for convictions under the act include fines of up to CDN$100,000 and/or imprisonment of up to two years. Any prosecutions arising from the legislation would necessarily occur in Canada.

What can education agents do under Bill C-35?

  • Direct someone to the CIC website to find information on immigration programmes
  • Direct someone to the CIC website to find immigration application forms
  • Direct someone to an authorised immigration representative
  • Provide translation services
  • Provide courier services
  • Provide medical services (e.g., medical exams)
  • Make travel arrangements
  • Advise an international student on how to select their courses or register

What are education agents not permitted to do under Bill C-35?

  • Explain and/or provide advice on someone's immigration options
  • Provide guidance to a client on how to select the best immigration stream
  • Complete/submit immigration forms on a client's behalf
  • Communicate with CIC and the Canada Border Services Agency on a client's behalf (except for direct translation)
  • Represent a client in an immigration application or proceeding
  • Advertise that they can provide immigration advice

This summary is also available to download as a PDF file. Special thanks to CIC for allowing us to share the presentation. Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada


Most Recent

  • UK Home Office launches Graduate Route review Read More
  • Germany expands in-study work opportunities for foreign students Read More
  • Survey findings underscore the link between English proficiency and career success Read More

Most Popular

  • Canada’s foreign enrolment grew by more than 30% in 2022 Read More
  • Measuring cost of study and cost of living across study destinations Read More
  • Recruiting in the Emirates: Big goals, world-class education, and new scholarships Read More

Because you found this article interesting

UK Home Office launches Graduate Route review The UK Home Secretary James Cleverly officially triggered the government’s review of the post-study work rights Graduate Route...
Read more
Germany expands in-study work opportunities for foreign students Germany is continuing to implement a phased series of new measures contained in newly enacted legislation, the Skilled...
Read more
US stakeholders share priorities for a national international education strategy The US remains the only leading study destination without a national strategy for international education, and calls for...
Read more
Market snapshot: A guide to international student recruitment in Vietnam FAST FACTS Capital: Hanoi Population: 99,200 million (2024) Youth population: 17% of the population is aged 17–25 Median...
Read more
British Columbia releases details of new Provincial Attestation Letter system under Canada’s international student cap British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province, and a leading destination for international students within Canada. On 1 March,...
Read more
New Zealand: Foreign enrolments climbed steadily through 2023 but full recovery will take years While all study abroad destinations felt the economic bite of losing international students in the pandemic, New Zealand...
Read more
UK: Post-study work rights worth billions but current policies leading to weaker enrolments this year A new analysis released by Universities UK indicates that the UK’s 2019 announcement of extended post-study work rights...
Read more
Demand for study abroad in Australia, Canada, UK already affected by new international education policies New, restrictive policies concerning international students in the UK, Canada, and Australia are already having a significant impact...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links