Avoiding Scams:Indian Students' Deportation Crisis in Canada

Over 700 Indian students in Canada face deportation due to fake admission letters discovered during permanent residency applications.

More than 700 Indian students in Canada are facing deportation after discovering that their admission offer letters from their educational institutions were fake. The Canadian Border Service Agency discovered the fraud when the students applied for permanent residency in Canada.

Education Migration Services, headed by Brijesh Mishra, who has disappeared, assisted the students in obtaining study visas. Consequently, many students who had already finished their studies, obtained work permits, and acquired work experience in Canada were affected.

Immigration advice and services for a fee can only be legally provided by licensed lawyers and consultants who are registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship (CICC). Additionally, education agents must also hold a CICC license.

Using a representative to act on your behalf for immigration or citizenship applications. You need to beware of fraudulent representatives. The incident highlights the issue of unlicensed education agents taking advantage of students eager to study and work in Canada.

Typical frauds targeting international students

The Indian students were scammed by what is commonly referred to as a "ghost agent." These are unlicensed immigration representatives or individuals who impersonate representatives from educational institutions.

They charge a fee in exchange for services to international students, and once they receive the payment, they disappear or "ghost" their victims. This type of fraud can occur when individuals are seeking work permits, study permits, or permanent resident status.

International students should be cautious of phishing scams that solicit personal information through email, text messages, or automated calls threatening legal action related to their immigration status. Scammers may also offer fake job offers to students, taking advantage of their need for part-time work or fake accommodation for a fee, leaving them homeless or in subpar housing.

How to avoid falling victim to this type of scam?

First, check if your agent helping you with school and study permit are licensed Role of Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA), Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or Canadian immigration lawyer.

A good practice is to be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true. Once you receive your admission letter, reach out to the schools via phone or email to confirm if you are indeed admitted. If you are unsure about a threatening automated call, email, or text, it's best to hang up and contact the organization directly to verify the information.

Social media is not a reliable source for finding immigration consultants, as scammers often impersonate them. International students should seek the assistance of licensed Canadian immigration lawyers to complete applications properly, communicate with the Canadian government, and avoid mistakes during the immigration process.

The Government's Role

International students know they need to apply to Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) to be eligible for study permits. IRCC, which provides schools with their DLI designations, does not check if schools are over-admitting students, revoking admission letters without reasonable explanations, or if the student has a valid admission letter.

Foreign students often spend thousands of dollars on taking tests, preparing their visa applications and filing fees to the Canadian government. These costs can be spent in vain if the school decides off a whim not to admit the student. You may also notice that international students at prestigious universities are often not topics of admission dispute/fraud. It is most likely that these universities have a much better internal process in place than a lot of convocational/technical colleges in Canada. It does seem like the admission process is still self-regulated by the schools. There is much-needed government oversight.

One of IRCC's mandate is to project a good image of Canada. I firmly believe that IRCC should put more rules around how international students are admitted to protect this country's image. Students should not be issued study permits and only be deported once they arrive in Canada.

Check out who can legally help you with Canadian immigration and represent you for more info to learn how to avoid such fraud.

Co-founder & Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC, R#707585)Jie Chen