Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Calgary Immigration Law Firm Blog

Exploitation, Abuse and False Promises

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke A recent Globe and Mail article about the exploitation of foreign workers and the "industry" that has sprung up to take advantage of these vulnerable individuals is not terribly shocking; and, now, after so many years bearing witness to it all, it fills me with weary resignation rather than anger. I discussed some of these transgressions during my testimony before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Immigration (CIMM) two years ago. Unlike the CBA, I did not argue for the elimination of immigration consultants altogether and restrict the practice of immigration services to lawyers alone. My position was, in fact, almost entirely endorsed by Lorne Waldman, the next witness, and perhaps the most respected immigration lawyer these last couple of decades. I suggested that regulation and oversight be improved, with additional training for consultants that sought to appear before the Immigration and Refugee Board. Going back to the the Globe article. It discusses nefarious actors like Kuldeep Bansal -there are many others but he perhaps exemplifies the apex (nadir?) of that sordid industry that preys on the hopes and dreams of migrants and workers.... Read more →

Ghost consultant sentenced

Baldev Pandher received an eighteen month sentence for submitting false/fraudulent documents to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Additional details at CSIC website here. Pandher submitted fraudulent documents in support of his clients' application for sponsorship. These documents included Notices of Assessment and tax returns, presumably to meet LICO. Through his business, Canada Immigration Consultants located in Mississauga, Pandher did 'immigration consulting' and appears to have charged exorbitant amounts of funds - in excess of $9,000 for one family class sponsorship application, and $8,000 for the other. It appears that the Crown would have been seeking incarceration but for Pandher's serious heart condition. In a blunt decision, the sentencing judge found that people like Baldev Pandher gave immigration consultants "such a bad name" and are the reason why immigration consultants "are held in low regard and with such great suspicion". The Judge also stated that Pandher should be incarcerated, but given the medical condition and the joint submission, he allowed a sentence to be served in the community. Read more →