More than 700 Indian students are facing deportation from Canada after discovering that their admission offer letters from their educational institution were fake. The fraud was discovered when the students applied for permanent residence in Canada. The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) examined the documents on the basis of which their visas were issued and found that these letters were forged.
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Most of the students had come to Canada to study in 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, many of them had already completed their studies, obtained work permit and gained work experience in Canada.
According to the toronto star, the students had applied for study visas through the Educational Migration Services located in Jalandhar. The consulting firm was headed by Brijesh Mishra, who charged students thousands of dollars to cover fees related to running the university and visa application, as well as tuition fees. The company’s office in Jalandhar has been closed and Mishra has “disappeared”.
Only licensed attorneys and consultants registered with the Consultant to the College of Immigration and Citizenship (CICC) can legally offer immigration advice and services for a fee. Educational agents must also be licensed by the CICC.
Unfortunately, there are educational agents who take advantage of students who want to study and work in Canada for a chance at permanent residency. These agents are not licensed, do not sign a contract, and charge their fees in cash.
“From time to time, you see bad actors, particularly from other parts of the world, which are difficult to monitor from Canada, looking to take advantage of international students. It’s disgusting to see the behavior of some of the promoters around the world,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told a community radio show.
Common Scams for International Students
Indian students fell victim to what is commonly called a “ghost consultant.” Ghost consultants are unlicensed immigration representatives or persons posing as representatives of an educational institution.
They offer services to international students (in this case) for a fee and then disappear, or “ghost”, the victim once they get their money. This type of fraud can happen to those seeking work permits, study permits or permanent resident status.
Students should also be wary of phishing scams. They usually take the form of an email or text message requesting sensitive personal information. They may also receive a robocall threatening legal action regarding their immigration status.
It is common for students to receive bogus job offers. Scammers know that international students often need to find part-time work to help finance their studies, and they take advantage of this. Students may receive job offers they did not apply for, or the services of a recruiter in exchange for fees or personal information.
Finally, there are scammers who take advantage of international students’ need for housing. They contact international students before they arrive in Canada, offer bogus accommodation for an upfront fee, and then disappear, leaving students homeless or in extremely poor accommodation.
Avoid scams as an international student
A general rule of thumb is to question anything that might be “too good to be true.” For example, a high-paying job offer that you didn’t apply for is probably a scam.
If you have concerns about a threatening-sounding robocall, email, or text, it’s best to hang up, find the organization’s contact information, and call them directly to verify.
Social media is not considered a reliable source for finding immigration consultants and representatives. Scammers often pose as immigration service providers or government agencies on social media platforms because it’s harder to verify their identities.
International students seeking to come to Canada to study or facing challenges regarding their study permits should contact a certified Canadian immigration lawyer. An experienced immigration attorney can help international students correctly complete applications, communicate with the Canadian government on the applicant’s behalf, and ensure that the applicant avoids mistakes during the immigration process.
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reference: www.cicnews.com