What Can an RCIC Hand to Support Staff? What the CICC Code Says
Updated October 20, 2026 3 min read
Many RCICs use an assistant, a virtual team or an outside support company for data entry and office work. The CICC's Code of Professional Conduct allows this. But the licensee stays responsible for every piece of work.
Here is what the Code says, in plain words, and a short checklist you can use with your own team.
Delegating is allowed. Advice is not.
“a licensee may delegate certain aspects of their work to a person who is not a licensee”
The same section adds a limit: the licensee must make sure that person does not provide representation or advice in breach of section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (or section 21.1 of the Citizenship Act).
In day-to-day terms, support staff typically handle work that follows your instructions:
- Entering information from your data sheet into IRCC forms
- Organizing, naming and checking documents
- Scheduling, inbox management and client reminders
- Invoicing and file administration
What stays with the licensee
Anything that needs professional judgment stays with you: deciding how a question should be answered, assessing eligibility, recommending a program, giving advice to the client, and acting as the client's representative with IRCC.
When support staff find something unclear, the right move is to send it back to you as a question, not to guess.
You supervise, and you are responsible
“must supervise and assume professional responsibility for any work done by a person who assists”
The Code also says the level of supervision must be adequate for the type of work. For form work, that usually means written instructions for each file and a full review by the licensee before anything is signed or submitted.
Who you bring in matters
Under section 38(1), the licensee must make sure anyone who assists them:
- is of good character;
- has been given a copy of the Code and is familiar with it; and
- does not do anything that would break the Code if the licensee did it.
Sharing client information with your team
Section 28(1) requires you to keep all client information confidential, indefinitely. Section 28(2)(e) allows disclosure to a person who is assisting you in providing services to that client, and section 28(3) says you must not disclose more than necessary.
Your service agreement must also include a statement about your confidentiality obligation (s. 24(3)(q)).
Keep a reliable office system
Section 37 requires a "reliable system of office administration" and records kept in line with the College's by-laws. When several people work on a file, a simple record of who did what, and when, makes supervision and later questions much easier.
Checklist for working with assistants or an outside team
- Give every assistant a copy of the Code and keep their confirmation that they have read it.
- Send written instructions (a data sheet) for each file.
- Review every completed form yourself before signing or submitting.
- Share only the information needed for the task.
- Use a secure portal for files, not personal email or chat apps.
- Keep a record of who worked on each file and when.
- Make sure staff never give advice or speak for the client with IRCC.
How Any Help Services fits in
Any Help Services is a non-regulated support company. We work only from your written instructions, and your licensed professional reviews and signs off on everything.
We never give immigration advice or contact IRCC for your clients. Files are exchanged through our secure portal and stored in Canada, and staff actions on files are recorded in an activity log.
Sources
- Code of Professional Conduct for College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Licensees (SOR/2022-128), Justice Laws
- CICC guide to the Code of Professional Conduct (PDF)
General information only, not legal or immigration advice. Rules and IRCC instructions change; always check the current official source. Any Help Services is a non-regulated support company and does not provide immigration advice.