Filipiniana News – December 2012
RHYME & REASON
Despite the entry into force of a laudable
legislation termed, “Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants” (Bill C-35) in June
2011, it appears that ghosts consultants are still operating in these parts
with relative impunity.
For those not
familiar with the term, “ghost consultants” usually refer to people who accept
fees or other consideration for providing immigration advice or services but
whose identities are not on any of the documentation submitted to the
government mainly because they are not duly-licensed lawyers, paralegals or
immigration consultants.
Bill C-35 (officially called, An Act to
Amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act), makes it an “offence for anyone other than an
authorized representative to conduct business, for a fee or other
consideration, at any stage of an application or proceeding.”
Ghost consultants therefore, are clearly punishable under this law
and if found guilty, could face punishments ranging “from $50,000 to $100,000
and/or imprisonment for up to two years upon conviction by indictment; and from
$10,000 to $20,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months on summary
conviction.”
If there is such a law prohibiting the
activity and imposing substantial penalties, how are ghost consultants able to
continue in business and get away with it?
From what I have gathered, some ghost consultants are very shrewd about
avoiding any paper trail by only accepting cash payments or refusing to issue
any receipts, for instance. For some
reason, they are also good at convincing their clients to tell the authorities
that they do not have a legal representative and are doing the immigration
application on their own, even if this is clearly not true.
As a result, the ghost consulting business
goes on, and appears to be even flourishing, leaving behind a trail of empty
pockets and shattered immigration dreams.
We can all try to contribute our share in
stopping this criminal activity and preventing others from being similarly
victimized by following a few simple guidelines: a) if you have directly dealt with ghost
consultants and have some evidence of this illegal activity, report the matter
to the authorities as soon as possible;
b) never consent to any advice which induces you to commit fraud or
misrepresentation in any immigration submission or application; c)
before retaining the services of a legal representative or consultant,
check with the relevant regulatory body to confirm whether the person concerned
is a member in good standing; and d) always require invoices or receipts for
payments made and services rendered.
Hopefully, these simple guidelines will
help reduce if not eradicate this illegal activity which preys on people’s
desperation to gain the much-coveted immigration status in Canada.
***
Meanwhile, Citizenship and Immigration
Canada (CIC) continues on its path towards introducing further reforms to the
immigration system. Aside from unveiling
a brand-new interactive website this month, CIC revealed more details regarding
the previously announced changes to two permanent residence application
categories, both of which will take effect on 2 January 2013.
These changes involve the new Skilled
Trades Stream under the Federal Skilled Worker category and the revised
Canadian Experience Class.
“The new Skilled Trades Stream will help address
serious labour shortages in some regions of the country, and support economic
growth,” CIC Minister Jason Kenney said.
“For too long, Canada’s immigration system has not been open to these in-demand
skilled workers. These changes are long overdue and will help us move to a fast
and flexible immigration system that works for Canada’s economy,” he added.
According to the new CIC guidelines, to qualify for
permanent residence in Canada under the Skilled Trades Stream, the applicants
will need to:
- have an
offer of employment in Canada or a certificate of qualification from a
province or territory to ensure that applicants are “job ready” upon
arrival;
- meet a basic
language requirement;
- have a
minimum of two years of work experience as a skilled tradesperson, to
ensure that the applicant has recent and relevant practice as a qualified
journeyman; and
- have the
skills and experience that match those set out in the National
Occupational Classification (NOC B) system, showing that they have
performed the essential duties of the occupation.
CIC also announced that that it will “accept up to
a maximum of 3,000 applications in the first year of the Federal Skilled Trades
Program.”
The
Canadian Experience Class on the other hand, has been amended to reduce the
work experience requirement to 12 months (from the previous 24 months) for
temporary foreign workers in Canada and will allow international students up to
36 months (from 24 months prreviously) within which to complete the required
one year of work experience after completing a two-year full time study program
at a Canadian educational institution.
Hopefully, these significant changes to
Canada’s immigration programs will benefit many prospective immigrants who may
not have qualified under the old rules.
Merry
Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all!
The author is a Canadian immigration
lawyer and may be reached at deanna@santoslaw.ca. This article is meant for legal information purposes only and not
intended to provide specific legal advice.
It is strongly recommended that you consult with a legal professional to
discuss your particular circumstances
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