CBIE is pleased to provide an update on progress towards an education program for Regulated International Student Immigration Advisers (RISIAs), a new group of professionals within the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC).
The RISIA designation is designed for in-service International Student Advisers (ISAs) working in the education sector in Canada whose responsibilities include offering immigration advice to students.
Successful completion of an education program will be a prerequisite for all ISAs who wish to take the entry-to-practice exam. The one exception to this will be for ISAs who meet criteria set out by ICCRC, including at least three years of experience as an ISA providing immigration advice to students, who will be able to take the first exam which will be offered later this fall.
CBIE announced our engagement in this initiative at the end of June and over the summer we developed a framework and pedagogy for the proposed program. This framework was discussed and validated with members and stakeholders with expertise in immigration advising and with CBIE’s fellow members of the Canadian Consortium for International Education (CCIE). The work involved a detailed review of the RISIA competencies required by ICCRC.
CBIE also selected a pedagogical approach grounded in adult learning styles and a delivery approach designed to enable in-service ISAs to pursue their studies at times of their choice during evenings and weekends. The proposed program will be:
- Delivered online using recorded lectures and live discussions
- Available in English and French
- Based exclusively on reference materials that are available online
- Focused and streamlined allowing for completion in a reasonable timeframe
- Affordable: while we have not yet set the fee schedule, we want to ensure that institutions will be able to support most or all of their ISAs to take the program
The RISIA education program, like any program for the Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), must be accredited by ICCRC in order to be considered in fulfilment of the education requirement. Our proposed program has now been submitted to ICCRC for review. Pending accreditation, we aim to offer an information session at our annual conference in Niagara Falls this November and to launch registration at that time.
Information:
Jennifer Humphries, Vice-President, Membership, Public Policy and Communications
t: 613-237-4820 ext. 246
[email protected]
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