Immigration Consultant Program in Ontario: 2025 Guide

So you’re thinking about a career helping newcomers make sense of Canada’s rules. Good news: for Ontario (and the rest of Canada), the path to becoming a licensed immigration consultant is clear and fairly strict. There’s one program that actually counts, one exam that unlocks the licence, and a regulator that watches over the whole profession.

This guide keeps it simple: what program you really need, how the language rules work, what the Entry-to-Practice Exam (EPE) looks like, and how this career compares with immigration officers and immigration lawyers.

The only immigration consultant program that leads to licensing

he profession is regulated Canada-wide by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). To become a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), you must:

• Complete a recognized graduate-level program
• Pass the RCIC Entry-to-Practice Exam (EPE)
• Finish the College’s licensing steps and keep up with ongoing education

Right now there are two graduate programs that satisfy the education requirement:

• Queen’s University – Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law (GDipICL)
  • English
  • Online, nine courses over three terms
  • Can be finished in under 12 months full-time
• Université de Montréal – D.E.S.S. en réglementation canadienne et québécoise de l’immigration
  • French
  • Online program with 30 credits (450 hours) focused on federal and Quebec immigration, ethics, and practice tools

Older “Immigration Practitioner Program” (IPP) diplomas are being phased out. IPP graduates can still use their credential only until December 31, 2025, as long as they pass the EPE by that date. After that, they must complete one of the new diplomas like everyone else.

If you’re starting now in Ontario and you want to work in English, assume Queen’s GDipICL is your route.

Language rules: CLB/NCLC 9 isn’t optional

CICC doesn’t just want you to know the law; you also have to prove you can work in English or French at a high level.

To register for the EPE, you must show at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 9 in English or NCLC 9 in French on an approved test (IELTS Academic, CELPIP-General, TEF, etc.). The score has to be no more than 2 years old when you write the exam.

Queen’s and UdeM make this simpler: they’ve built the language requirement into their admission process, so most graduates have already proven CLB/NCLC 9 by the time they reach the EPE. For everyone else, CICC’s language page spells out the exact test types and scores.

Step-by-step: how to become an immigration consultant (RCIC)

Here’s the straight-line version from “thinking about it” to “licensed”.

1. Enrol in the right graduate program

Apply to Queen’s GDipICL (English) or UdeM’s D.E.S.S. (French). Both are fully online and built specifically to meet CICC’s standards for RCIC education.

Check:

• Admission requirements (usually a bachelor’s degree and a minimum average)
• Start dates and whether you want full-time or part-time
• Tuition and fees for the upcoming year

2. Complete the program (9 courses, 3 terms)

Plan for three terms and nine courses if you study full-time. You’ll cover foundations of immigration law, temporary and permanent streams, refugee protection, enforcement, citizenship, ethics, and practice management.

Treat it like professional school:

• Build a digital “knowledge bank” (summaries, templates, checklists)
• Pay attention to ethics and file-management content—those show up later in discipline cases

3. Meet the language requirement (CLB/NCLC 9)

If your program hasn’t already confirmed this, book an approved test and aim for CLB/NCLC 9 using CICC’s score table (for example, IELTS Academic Listening 8, Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 7). Scores must be recent—taken within 2 years of your exam date.

4. Register and sit the RCIC Entry-to-Practice Exam (EPE)

The EPE is a three-hour exam that tests your ability to apply immigration and citizenship law, procedure, and ethics—not just memorize sections.

Key points:

• You must write within 3 years of finishing your diploma
• You’ll upload ID, proof of education, and language results (unless exempted)
• The exam is offered on specific dates; some sittings fill up quickly

5. Apply for your RCIC licence with CICC

Once you pass the EPE, you still need to:

• Complete the College’s licensing application and pay fees
• Meet “good character” and background-check requirements
• Agree to the Code of Professional Conduct and ongoing education rules

From there, you renew annually, maintain professional liability insurance, and complete continuing professional development hours each year.

Important 2023 change:
CICC no longer requires Canadian citizenship or permanent residence to become an RCIC or to write the EPE. International graduates can pursue licensing if they meet all other requirements.

“Immigration consultant classes” vs real credentials

This is where many people get misled.

You’ll see lots of ads for short “immigration consultant courses” that promise knowledge, “insider tips,” or exam prep. They can be fine for background learning or EPE prep, but they do not replace:

• Queen’s Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law, or
• UdeM’s D.E.S.S. in immigration regulation

CICC is very clear: if you’re not an IPP graduate who qualifies under the old rules (and passes the EPE by December 31, 2025), you need one of the new graduate diplomas before you can test and license.

Short courses ≠ licensing credential.

RCIC vs immigration officer vs immigration lawyer

A lot of job titles in this space sound similar. Here’s what they actually mean.

RCIC (immigration consultant)

• Licensed by CICC
• Works in private practice, firms, NGOs, or colleges
• Can give paid immigration advice, prepare applications, and represent clients before IRCC (and in some cases, IRB matters)

Path: graduate diploma → EPE → CICC licensing.

Immigration officer (IRCC / CBSA / IRB staff)

• Works for the federal government (or related tribunals)
• Screens and decides on applications, enforcement actions, or hearings
• Recruited through GC Jobs with normal public-service hiring: education, tests, interviews, security clearance

Path: apply to job postings, not CICC licensing. An RCIC licence isn’t required for officer roles (though immigration law knowledge helps).

Immigration lawyer (Ontario)

• Regulated by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), not CICC
• Completes a JD/LLB, then:
  • Law Society licensing process
  • Barrister and solicitor exams
  • Articling or the Law Practice Program (LPP)
• Can represent in federal court and broader legal matters that consultants can’t handle

Short version:

• Want to advise and file applications as a regulated professional, mostly outside court? → RCIC.
• Want to work inside government deciding files? → immigration officer route.
• Want to litigate and practise full-scope law? → immigration lawyer.

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