'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.

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.