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CBC
19-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
'Rising problem' of ghost consultancies hits man who lost $12K trying to get Canadian visa for wife
Social Sharing This story is part of Welcome to Canada, a CBC News series about immigration as told through the eyes of the people who have experienced it. Krishan Jogia turned to an immigration consultancy before landing in Toronto in 2023, only to realize later — after spending thousands of dollars — that he had been dealing with a "ghost" consultancy apparently operating illegally in Canada. Jogia, a dual Canadian-Australian citizen, sought the services of Canada Global Migration Consultants (GMC) for a Canadian visitor visa for his wife, Luana Cabral de Carvalho. They eventually received it, but things didn't go as smoothly when they tried again for her spousal visa. "Canada GMC visually, like if you've seen their YouTube, Instagram and website, comes off as very polished," Jogia said. "When you call them, you get a proper help desk with hold music and everything." However, in early 2024, Jogia said, their consultant "just disappeared." For months, he said, the consultancy kept ignoring them and shuffled them around to different colleagues. The two were able to get hold of that consultant, who is a registered immigration consultant, directly. He told them, in an email seen by CBC News, that they left Canada GMC due to "their unethical work practices." "We started really aggressively trying to pursue a refund, and that's when they just stopped replying and just ignored us," Jogia said. The company's name does not appear on the list of immigration consultancies permitted to operate in Canada, contrary to the law. A spokesperson for the body that regulates the profession, the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), said immigration consultants must only provide services "under a business name that is registered with the college and appears on the public register." Ultimately, Jogia said, the couple paid roughly $12,000 to Canada GMC and consulted a lawyer to take action against the company, which "ignored the demand letter." The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The couple filed a complaint with the CICC about their experience with Canada GMC. Even approaching the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Better Business Bureau hasn't remedied anything. "I mean, it's disappointing. It doesn't even sum it up right. It's surprising how unregulated the industry is and just the lack of desire to do anything about it," Jogia said. Why newcomers may use consultants over lawyers Experts say newcomers prefer consultants to lawyers for their immigration paperwork and applications because they're more affordable. But there are calls for more scrutiny and enforcement by the CICC to penalize those operating without a licence. Unlicensed individuals acting as licensed consultants are known as ghost consultants. A new survey commissioned by CBC News has found more newcomers are choosing immigration consultants over lawyers, but they have concerns about oversight of both professions. The survey, conducted by market research firm Pollara in November 2024, asked 1,507 people who arrived in Canada in the past 10 years about their immigration experiences and found 33 per cent of those surveyed used consultants, while 16 per cent used lawyers. Overall, 89 per cent also said Canada needs to do a better job with regulating consultants and lawyers. A national survey of that size would normally have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. What is Canada GMC and who owns it? On its website, Canada GMC advertises having a team of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC), but neither the company nor most of the staff the couple interacted with can be found on the public register of those certified. The seemingly multinational entity is owned by a company in Israel called Media Bubble. The Canada GMC website is owned and operated by a private company, WorldMigration Unipessoal LDA, which is based in Portugal and runs similar businesses for the U.K. and Australia. In Canada, the consultancy lists a downtown Ottawa address on its website. CBC reached out to the building operator, who confirmed no consultancy of that name ever ran its businesses there. New York state resident Lorre Denise Schneer said she too fell prey to Canada GMC. Schneer and her family were trying to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents. As a new mother, she paid Canada GMC $5,260 US to handle her application, only to realize one wasn't submitted. Like Jogia, Schneer and her family have tried all avenues to remedy the situation but to no avail. "I was so excited about Canada … but knowing that a country is allowing a business like this to operate and there's no ramifications for it, that gives me such a bad taste because this should never be allowed to happen, because even the smartest of individuals can fall prey to something like this." It's far from the only operation of its kind. Social media drive 'misinformation:' licensed consultant In the border city of Windsor, Ont., experts say ghost consultants are a rising problem. H&S operates in an unmarked industrial building in a trucking parking lot by Sandwich Street, walking distance from the Gordie Howe International Bridge. "At H&S Immigration, we're not just your typical immigration consultants — we're your partners in realizing your dreams," reads their website. "As a result of our unwavering commitment and high approval rates, we've proudly risen to become one of the leading immigration consultancies in North India." Calling itself a "trusted partner," the consultancy, which has been around for eight years, has two overseas branches in Punjab, India, a top country of origin for newcomers to Canada. But, like Canada GMC, it is not licensed and did not respond to multiple CBC requests. Hussein Zarif, executive director at Canada By Choice, an immigration consultancy, said the presence of unlicensed consultants is "very unfortunate but not surprising." Zarif said a majority of Canada By Choice's clients have been approached by fraudulent consultants promising them pathways to a permanent future in Canada, resulting in many "coming with tears" after being defrauded. "The people that are affected are the most vulnerable people. It is a rising problem," he said. "It hurts us licensed immigration consultants too." Often, it's recent newcomers who aren't aware of the legal systems and who fall prey to fraudulent consultants, Zarif said. From illegally selling job offers to helping bypass immigration requirements, these "warning signs" should alert newcomers of ghost consultants who often don't even submit applications, he added. "Education is a huge part of the solution of educating immigrants." The problem is more profound online. Social media like Instagram and YouTube are filled with pages and channels offering immigration advice — many call themselves educational consultants. Zarif said many clients walk in with false information they learned from social media consultants. "All that misinformation at the end of the day is going to lead people in desperate situations to take desperate actions rather than coming to a professional." College reviewing reports of fake consultants Becoming a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant involves completing an entry-to-practice exam and successful completion of a graduate diploma program through Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., or the University of Montreal. The schools say interest in these programs is growing. According to the CICC, there are 11,999 licensees in Canada, with 5,586 of them based in Ontario and the majority in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The regulatory college said it has received 682 reports of unauthorized practitioners (UAP) since its inception in 2021. Of those, 289 remain open and are being reviewed. "Additionally, we have taken down more than 5,000 UAP social media pages and websites in the last year," the college said, noting it cannot hold them accountable for their actions. Lack of immigration lawyers adds to the problem In her more than three decades of experience of working with newcomers, Shelley Gilbert, executive director of Legal Assistance of Windsor, has seen the threat of ghost consultants first hand. But with recent immigration changes and the path to remain in Canada on a permanent basis becoming more difficult, Gilbert said there are "more and more people desperate" to stay. "That gave an opportunity for unscrupulous people to take advantage of all of that desperation that we're seeing here now. The numbers [of such consultants] have likely gone up because they prey on that," she said. As recent newcomers find different avenues to remain, the bad actors, Gilbert said, continue to exploit applicants by offering pathways that don't exist. She said part of her organization's job is to provide accurate information and education. "One of the difficulties that we have in Windsor and Essex County is a lack of immigration lawyers," she said, paving the way for consultants to bridge that gap. Gilbert advises asking for references and getting second opinions. "It's hard to do because very often, exploitive consultants will also make people feel bad for asking questions, for questioning their authority. That should also be a red flag for you." Legal recourse also limited: immigration lawyer Andrew Koltun, an immigration lawyer in Ontario's Niagara Region, is calling for changes to the Immigration Refugee Protection Act to protect people who fall victim to scams. The Federal Court has determined that if you use a representative in your immigration claims, you are responsible for their actions, including any misrepresentation, Koltun said. In effect, then, if you want to try to hold a scam consultant legally accountable, you're effectively revealing you've committed misrepresentation. "That would then likely lead to your deportation from Canada," he said. "So, there's that big fear. That means if you take action against someone who has really scammed you, it will lead to your removal from Canada, which is the opposite of what you want." Knowing that general fear of deportation, Koltun said, fraudulent consultants threaten reporting such clients to authorities if they want to pursue any legal action against them. There are going to be "collateral consequences of trying to seek justice."
CBC
20-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Low wages, high costs are making life tough for many newcomers to Prince Edward Island
Some foreign workers on Prince Edward Island say it takes multiple jobs, and in at least one case 60 hours of work each week, to pay their rent and buy groceries as they strive to find a new home in Canada. Reporter Steve Bruce hears about their financial struggles as part of the CBC series "Welcome to Canada."
CBC
19-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Sudanese Quebecers wait in anguish after exclusion from program to rescue family members
Mayada Ageeb has been holding protests in downtown Montreal every two weeks, calling for Quebec and Canada to do more to rescue the families of Sudanese Canadians from a war that has been raging for nearly two years and which has displaced more than 12 million people. The situation in Sudan has been labelled the world's worst humanitarian crisis by the African Union, and a resolution of the conflict appears a ways away. Ageeb is one of a few hundred Sudanese Quebecers who have so far been excluded from a humanitarian pathway program to help direct family members escape to Canada. She is hoping to eventually sponsor her aunt, four cousins, an uncle, his wife and two children, as well as her grandmother. All are scattered throughout Sudan and neighbouring countries. Several have been displaced many times, including her aunt and four children who are currently on the move and hoping to reach Uganda. Two of her cousins, 14 and 16, were recently badly beaten at a militia checkpoint after soldiers searched their phones and discovered documents they had prepared in the hopes of applying to come to Canada. "There's really no words for it. It's beyond frustrating, honestly," Ageeb said. "There's a heaviness to it because you realize that no one really cares." The temporary program was created in February 2024, accepting 3,250 applications for roughly 7,300 Sudanese family members, but it excluded Quebec. The provincial government opted out of the program, meaning Sudanese Quebecers could not apply. WATCH | Is Canada doing its part to help Sudanese people?: Sudanese community questions Canada's welcoming reputation 1 month ago Duration 1:58 As war in Sudan rages, Canada has welcomed only a fraction of the number of refugees it has from other countries in crisis. CBC's David Common recently looked into the issue with a team at The National and as part of Welcome to Canada, a CBC News series on immigration. In the fall, the Sudanese Canadian Community Association, which Ageeb is a member of, says it was told by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that the program would reopen after it had closed in May when the application cap was reached. This time, it would accept applications from Quebec if applicants here promised to resettle their family members in other provinces. Ageeb says community members have so far been given three different dates for the program's reopening, first in November, then January, then February, but it's yet to happen. The wait has been agonizing, Ageeb says. Each time a new date was announced via the association, her family scrambled to prepare their documents, which have been nearly impossible to obtain in the active war zone. $10,000 per person The federal program has also been criticized for its relatively small cap on applications, compared to other recent programs for refugees, such as those from Ukraine and Afghanistan. An estimated 300,000 Ukrainians have been able to settle in Canada since the war with Russia intensified in February 2022. In 2021, Canada said it would welcome up to 40,000 Afghan refugees after the Taliban swept power. The program for Sudanese families also requires $9,900 be set aside per person, in addition to processing fees of $635 per adult and $175 per child. "No other program asked for a financial guarantee," said Mahmoud Abdelrahman, 36, who plans to sponsor five family members. "You just feel like if I made Canada my home and I've been here for this long and I made Quebec my home, why is the government being so selective?" Abdelrahman has lived in Quebec for 17 years and done most of his higher education schooling in the province, including an MBA at Concordia University's John Molson School of Business. Every time the Sudanese Canadian Community Association has told members the program would reopen, Abdelrahman has conducted a "mock filing" of the application with his family. They'd make sure documents were in order and up to date — government IDs, biometrics, marriage certificates, translations. He says the process has been discouraging. Abdelrahman and his family happened to be in Egypt getting ready to celebrate Eid when the civil war broke out on April 15, 2023. He prolonged his stay by several months to help his parents stay in Egypt. But all their belongings and identification documents stayed in their family home in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, which has been broken into several times. His brother and his wife were able to make it to Qatar, while his sister went to Dubai where his other sister also lives, but already has Canadian citizenship. Abdelrahman's roommate, Mohamed Hamid, was also visiting family for Eid when the war broke out, except that he was in Khartoum as fighting erupted. Fleeing a war's outbreak At first, it seemed the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary and the Sudanese military would abate within days. But as entire neighbourhoods became occupied around them, Hamid and his family decided to flee. "The problem was the Rapid Support Forces were not acting like a military force," said Hamid, a data scientist in Montreal. "They come inside neighbourhoods, take over houses. Even if you're lucky that they don't kick you out of your house, you'll still have to live with them and constantly be harassed." Hamid and his parents managed to get bus tickets to Port Sudan after they were initially scammed. They faced several checkpoints along the way, with RSF soldiers attempting to extort passengers. Hamid was singled out for identification, but avoided trouble by showing his Canadian residency card. Once they got to Port Sudan, the city was overflowing with displaced people. Boats and flights were full. Tourist areas had been repurposed into makeshift refugee camps. Hamid's family was lucky enough to have family nearby to stay with. After two weeks, a relative's police officer friend helped them buy tickets on a commercial boat. He and his parents made it to Saudi Arabia, where his mother works as a physician. "Even if the war stops now, I don't know what the threshold is for people to feel safe," said Hamid, 32, who is waiting to apply to the Canadian program for his parents and 29-year-old sister. 'Ridiculously low cap' Khalid Medani, director of McGill University's Institute of Islamic Studies and chair of African studies, believes systemic racial bias and the political climate in North America are contributing to the delays in Canada reopening the pathway program. "My feeling is also they're just very cautious and frankly nervous about declarations of bringing in refugees," said Medani, adding that it's important to distinguish between a humanitarian pathway program and an immigration program, which is broader and doesn't necessarily connect families. "This is a small program with a ridiculously low cap," he said. "It has absolutely no effect in terms of local economies, housing, any of that — absolutely, none, nil." As of Feb. 2, 291 family members of the 3,250 Sudanese Canadian applicants had arrived in the country, according to IRCC spokesperson Julie Lafortune. Five hundred and eleven applications have been approved, representing 1,006 people. Lafortune would not confirm that the program would be reopening with the inclusion of Sudanese Quebecers. "We continue to process temporary and permanent residence applications already in our inventory for those affected by the conflict in Sudan in all streams," Lafortune wrote in an email to CBC. It would not confirm whether it would be re-opening applications to the program. "We cannot speculate on future policy decisions. Any new developments would be communicated publicly." The federal ministry has said the lengthy processing time is due in part to the fact that the program is a pathway to permanent residency. Quebec's Immigration Ministry says it decided not to participate in the Canadian program for Sudanese people because "Quebec already contributes significantly to the humanitarian effort in general, in particular by welcoming a large proportion of asylum seekers arriving in Canada." From asylum to advocacy Duha Elmardi is one of those asylum seekers. She crossed the Canada-U.S. border on foot at Roxham Road, south of Montreal, in 2018. Elmardi, who is also part of the Sudanese association, is now also hoping to bring her three siblings and parents to Canada. Her parents are still in Khartoum, though she helped evacuate her siblings from Sudan into nearby countries seven months into the war.
