22441.1. (a) A person engaged in the business or acting in the capacity of an immigration consultant shall satisfactorily pass a background check conducted by the Secretary of State.
(b) The Secretary of State shall disqualify an individual from acting as an immigration consultant for any of the following reasons:
(1) Conviction of a felony.
(2) Conviction of a disqualifying misdemeanor where not more than 10 years have passed since the completion of probation. A conviction after a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this paragraph. The list of disqualifying misdemeanors shall be the same as the disqualifying misdemeanors applicable to notaries public appointed and commissioned pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 8200) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(3) Failure to disclose any arrest or conviction in the disclosure form required pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 22443.1.
(c) The Secretary of State shall complete a background check on every person engaged in the business or acting in the capacity of an immigration consultant who was bonded and qualified pursuant to this chapter on or before December 31, 2006.
(d) The Secretary of State shall not file a bond, disclosure form, or photograph from a person who has failed to pass the background check required by this section.
(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 605, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007.)