End the sleight of hand of immigration consultants
Immigration consultants in Canada have been implicated in numerous cases of fraud, exploitation, and negligence, often preying on vulnerable temporary workers, students, and refugees. Despite new federal regulations set for July 15, including a compensation fund and stricter penalties, critics argue the oversight system remains ineffective. The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants has taken limited enforcement action, highlighting systemic gaps in regulating the profession.
- ▪Many immigration consultants have deceived clients, leading to non-existent jobs, falsified applications, and loss of health coverage due to expired permits.
- ▪Some clients knowingly collaborate with consultants to submit fraudulent applications, such as false refugee claims or study permits for work purposes.
- ▪The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants oversees around 12,500 licensed professionals but suspended only seven and revoked eight licenses in the last fiscal year.
- ▪The federal government has introduced new rules to improve oversight, but critics say the current regulatory model is fundamentally flawed.
- ▪Licensed and unauthorized consultants have contributed to widespread abuse, prompting program changes like the shutdown of the Start-up Visa program and removal of points for job offers in Express Entry.
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As a lawyer who files negligence claims against immigration consultants, Eoin Logan hears lots of horror stories. Temporary workers who have been tricked into paying thousands of dollars to secure a job – a practice that is illegal – only to find the job doesn’t exist. People fearing deportation after their immigration consultant falsified their applications. Temporary residents facing medical crises that have no health coverage because an immigration consultant failed to keep their work permits up to date. The victims are often terrified about pushing back on the consultants, who sometimes threaten to get them deported. Not everyone is a victim, though.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Globe and Mail.
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