The Quebec government plans to close a loophole that allows virtually anyone to pass him or herself off as an immigration consultant.

Under regulations to take effect in June, only lawyers, notaries and consultants certified by the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) will have the right to represent clients in provincial immigration cases, Immigration Minister Yolande James announced yesterday.

The move comes more than six years after the federal government cracked down on fly-by-night immigration consultants, who bilked newcomers out of thousands of dollars, by requiring such advisers to be accredited by the CSIC.

The federal regulations do not apply to consultants who deal with provincial immigration authorities, however.

Quebec will also require consultants to pass an exam on immigration rules, to function fluently in French, and not have broken the province's immigration law in the previous three years.

To track down "phantom consultants," the government will require all immigrants to divulge the name of any immigration consultant they hire.

Consultants who break the rules can be disbarred or prosecuted.

The CSIC applauded the new regulations.

John Ryan, the society's chairperson and acting CEO, said the measures will guarantee consultants are "held accountable to strict rules of professional conduct."