Immigration Bill C-35- a measure to crackdown on crooked representatives

Bill C-35 has brought discontentment amongst various groups

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced new rules to deal with crooked representatives like consultants, lawyers and or paralegals.

Kenney says, “Sharing information on the misconduct of an immigration representative with the regulatory body will help protect the integrity of our immigration system.”.

CIC, CBSA and IRB will be allowed to pass on information to any investigating agency that is conducting an investigation on an immigration representative and his conduct or ethics.

Phil Mooney, Chief Executive Officer of ICCRC says, “Cooperation on information sharing will help the ICCRC and other governing bodies better regulate membership.”

The Minister informed that his department receives tips from the public about crooked representatives. These tips can now be used for investigation against the wrong doers.

ICCRC is supposedly expecting a lot of support from the Bill C-35 in their fight against criminals who are maligning nation’s name.

Bill C-35 bars anyone from giving any advisory services to immigrant’s part from lawyers and paralegals. Those who will not abide by this law will face a fine $100,000 or an imprisonment for two years or both.

The shortcomings

• What people are unhappy about is that the bill does not have any provision to punish those who have license and yet they are doing things unlawfully.
• Also the consultants who are staying abroad and working illegally would not be controlled by this Bill.
• The real purpose of the Bill somewhere gets lost in the absence of measures which can catch up the real criminals, who take money and get away merely because they have a license to show.
• Among all the discontented bodies, Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) is most unhappy because it will be losing its monopoly.
• After CSIC came into force many immigrant consultants had to switch off their business in the want of time and money to get certification from CSIC.
• Many believe that Bill C-35 somehow discriminated against ethnic groups which are smaller in size and hence can’t make their presence felt prominently.