Illinois Passes New Law Protecting Immigrants With Social Work and Therapy Licenses

Published on by Melissa

Governor Pritzker has signed a new bill into law that will greatly impact immigrants in Illinois who hold professional social worker licenses.

As of January 2, 2025, if you are an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Social Worker, Professional Counselor, Clinical Professional Counselor, or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist your license may no longer be suspended or otherwise disciplined based solely on an immigration violation. You may be able to retain your license status if the federal government opens immigration proceedings against you and deports you from the United States.

Additionally, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”), under this new law, will be required to offer “reasonable accommodations” for individuals who are applying for a license under the Illinois Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, Professional Counselor and Clinical Counselor Licensing Practice Act, or the Marriage and Family Therapy Practicing Act, and English is not their primary language. This accommodation will be specific to the required examinations that all applicants need to take. This will allow greater access to social worker licenses for the 23.2% of households in Illinois who primarily speak a language other than English in the home.

If after January 1, 2025, the IDFPR is attempting to discipline your license based solely on an immigration violation or if the IDFPR is not giving you reasonable accommodations for your applications, please do not hesitate to call our office.

Disclaimer: This web site is addressed to those who hold professional licenses issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and by similar licensing agencies in other states. Suggestions herein are, in most circumstances, valid for any type investigation, whether administrative, criminal, or civil. However, it should be noted that in some other states, one who holds a professional license may be required to submit to an investigative interview as a condition of being licensed. Whatever the circumstances, a licensed professional who becomes the subject of an investigation would be wise to immediately retain legal counsel. No content, whole or in part, is to be considered as “legal advice,” and by reading this document, no attorney-client relationship is formed with the Crick Walanka Law Group, Ltd.
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