Vision, Growth, and the Road Ahead
CIPEDA’s foundation was built in 2024, when early initiatives revealed how much RCICs wanted to engage beyond the pressures of everyday professional life. In July 2024, the idea took shape as I began to ask: why not bring immigration professionals together in a meaningful way and engage them in wellness and sports beyond their everyday work? I started brainstorming, spoke with RCIC colleagues, and invited like-minded professionals who could contribute to this initiative. The vision was shared, the team formed quickly, and the momentum grew.
What began as a sports initiative under the name Immigration Consultants Cricket League (ICCL) soon expanded into multiple sports and evolved into the Immigration Professionals Sports League (IPSL), which we decided, informally at the time, would operate under the broader CIPEDA banner. A simple but meaningful idea to bring RCICs together beyond day-to-day work became the driving force that ultimately led to CIPEDA’s official registration in February 2025.
In the beginning, our sports activities under IPSL sparked a strong sense of unity. Cricket tournaments, bowling events, volleyball, informal meetups, and even our first magazine showed how eagerly immigration professionals wanted to connect outside their daily responsibilities. These efforts were never intended to be the final goal; they were the initial steps that revealed a much larger opportunity. That momentum guided the evolution from IPSL’s recreational activities into the broader platform we now recognize as CIPEDA.
Today, CIPEDA stands as a unified platform for engagement, wellness, sports, networking, and community development. I am thankful for the dedication of our Founding Members and Directors – Tarun Juneja, Amit Sharma, Harmanjot Sodhi, Bharat Paliwal, and Rachit Arora; whose contributions have played an important role in CIPEDA’s development.
Together, we have transformed an early idea into a growing national ecosystem that brings RCICs and immigration professionals together in meaningful ways. CIPEDA now connects people through sports leagues, networking groups, onboarding support for new RCICs, wellness initiatives, and development through community events that strengthen relationships and build unity within our profession.
Looking ahead, CIPEDA will continue to expand with new initiatives, stronger networking channels, and community-driven programs for both experienced and new RCICs. IPSL will continue to host sports and wellness activities under the IPSL (Immigration Professionals Sports League) umbrella, while CIPEDA focuses on wider engagement, connection, inclusive events and community development. We are also establishing coordinators, committees, and volunteer teams to support our upcoming plans.
CIPEDA exists because of the people who believed in this vision; our members, volunteers, participants, sponsors, and supporters. Your enthusiasm and trust reinforce our purpose: to offer a place where immigration professionals can connect, grow, stay active, and celebrate their collective achievements.
Thank you for being part of this journey. With your support, we will continue building something meaningful for the immigration profession in Canada.
Angrez Angurana, RCIC
Founder, President & Director, CIPEDA