Benefits of Obtaining Immigration Services from a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant

Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are accountable to the Regulator of Immigration Consultants in Canada, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). They are audited on a regular basis to ensure that they are complying with the requirements of the regulator and are providing
quality services.

Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are educated and informed
Prior to becoming RCICs, candidates are required to demonstrate their knowledge and language skills with entrance examinations.  Since 2004, candidates to become authorized immigration  consultants have been required to complete an accredited program.  An accredited program provides consultants with essential information regarding immigration law in Canada and proper  procedures regarding applications with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.  Additionally, members of the Council are kept well-informed on developments in the immigration field.  They  are required to complete ongoing professional development and Practice Management  Education.

Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are required to abide by stringent ethical and  professional guidelines
Council members are subject to a Code of Ethical Conduct that stipulates proper procedures for their practice.  The Code requires all members to adhere to stringent rules, including those regarding quality of service, professionalism, ethical practice and confidentiality.  A breach of  this code is considered an act of non-compliance; it is taken seriously and dealt with  expeditiously by the Council.  Additionally, members of the Council must provide evidence of  good character before being newly regulated, including submitting a police record check.

Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are insured
Members of the Council are required to obtain Errors and Omissions Insurance, which protects consumers against unintended actions that may cause financial damage.

The agents of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are known to the Regulator
Members’ agents, or those individuals who work with RCICs on a regular basis, often play a big part in processing and handling important documents and correspondence.  RCICs are required to provide to the Council a list of agents with whom they work.  The actions of these agents reflect upon the member, and members will thus be responsible for ensuring that their agents act with professionalism and integrity.

Risks of Obtaining Services from Unauthorized Providers of Immigration Services

These unauthorized providers are breaking the law
Unauthorized practitioners who charge money for immigration services are acting illegally. These individuals should not be trusted to provide immigration services in exchange for money.

These unauthorized providers may not be educated or informed
These unauthorized providers may be operating without proper education or knowledge of the Canadian immigration system or Canadian immigration law.  They may be unaware of essential  requirements or procedures in dealing with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and may not be informed of developments regarding the immigration system or of immigration legislation that could have a negative effect on a consumer’s circumstances as related to CIC.

These unauthorized providers may not be ethical or professional
As someone who is operating illegitimately, these individuals may have no qualms about engaging in highly unethical or unprofessional actions.  Many times, these unauthorized providers are seeking only to swindle money from unsuspecting clients.  Additionally, they may engage in unethical or illegal practices in their dealings with CIC, which could jeopardize an applicant’s current and future status with CIC.These unauthorized providers are not accountable to the Council Non-members are practicing without the authorization of the regulatory body.  They are not subject to the rules and regulations that govern Council members, who are held accountable for  their actions by the Council.  They may not properly identify themselves on official documents and records and most likely operate unknown to the Council and appropriate officials.

These unauthorized providers are not insured
Unauthorized providers do not have Errors and Omissions Insurance and are subsequently unprotected and unable to compensate consumers adequately who have been financially hurt.

Source : ICCRC

Retiring baby boomers will slow labour force growth to a crawl: StatsCan

OTTAWA - Canada's labour force continues to grow but retiring baby boomers will slow the rate of growth to a crawl over the next 20 years, Statistics Canada says.

The agency estimates there could be as many as 22.5 million people working by 2031, up from 18.5 million last year.

However, it projects that the rate of growth will slow to between 0.2 per cent and 0.7 per cent a year from 2021 to 2026. When the boomers were entering the job market in the 1970s, the labour force increased at an average rate of just over four per cent a year.

In 1981, there were roughly six people working for each retiree. By 2031, the ratio will be three to one, Statistics Canada forecasts. By that time, the entire baby-boom generation will have reached the age of 65.

The agency also projects that the participation rate in the labour force by 2031 could be as low as it was in the 1970s, with less than 63 per cent of Canadians over the age of 15 at work.

"The projected decline in the overall participation rate over the next two decades would be largely attributable to demographic phenomena, such as the aging of the baby boom cohorts, increasing life expectancy and a fertility rate below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman," StatsCan said in a release.

Canada's workforce is not only aging, it is also becoming more ethnically diverse. StatsCan estimates that by 2031, roughly one in every three people in the labour force could be foreign born.

Even if there was no immigration for the next 30 years, the number of visible minorities in the workplace would be expected to increase.

Visible minority communities in Canada tend to be younger, so fewer members will be retiring over the next three decades, StatsCan said. Their children will also be entering the workforce.

The labour force projections are based on five scenarios that combine assumptions on future population growth with assumptions on future labour force participation rates.