'Rising problem' of ghost consultancies hits man who lost $12K trying to get Canadian visa for wife

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."