The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) says unregistered “ghost agents” are an ongoing cause for concern, particularly at a time when many Haiti earthquake victims are seeking to immigrate to Canada.
According to CSIC, these agents provide immigration services without holding the mandatory CSIC membership—they don’t have to prove their competence and are not accountable to anyone.
CSIC chair and acting CEO John Ryan says that although the law requires immigration consultants to be regulated and authorized, “there's a cottage industry of entrepreneurial consultants who have front-ended the process.”
“These individuals have run out and printed up a business card and hung out a sign and they're practising in the light of day,” he says.
“The problem is unsuspecting immigrants that come to Canada who in many respects don’t speak the language, don’t understand our legal system or the immigration system and in some cases our culture, fall easy prey to these charlatans.”
Ryan says unregistered agents often give inaccurate advice and in many cases “the immigrant who is responsible for their application and everything in it is left holding the bag—the money’s gone and the consultant is invariably long gone as well.”
The problem of unscrupulous agents exists across the country and is not particular to certain ethnic groups. “It’s across the board,” he says.
“Our intelligence here right now is tracking 1,920 ghost agents that we’ve identified in Canada. We currently have 1,655 certified consultants who are authorized representatives and recognized by the government of Canada. So needless to say we’re a little concerned that there seems to be more bad guys than there are good guys.”
CSIC is calling on the government to crack down on ghost agents by making it an offence to pose as an immigration consultant. Ghost agents have been able to thrive by exploiting legal loopholes—something CSIC wants changed.
“We’re of the opinion that if there is a deterrent—stiff jail and fines, or both—specifically written into the law to prohibit this activity, we think it would give the law enforcement community far more accurate tools to go after these individuals rather than trying to use other provisions under other acts,” Ryan says.
Although it’s advisable to seek the services of an authorized consultant, Ryan notes that it is not a requirement and will not result in faster processing of applications or guarantee approval.
CSIC launched its $1 million national ad campaign last Wednesday in Montreal and Toronto to raise awareness about the issue. The society also released a number of recommendations they hope the government will implement.
