Agent arrested for offering immigration advice without a license

Brijesh Mishra, who had been living under the radar in British Columbia, was charged with offering immigration advice without a license and counseling others to misrepresent. This arrest comes as a group of international students he illegally advised face possible deportation due to misrepresentation in their study permit applications. The students claim they were unaware of the doctored admission letters.

Brijesh Mishra, was found living with five other people in Surrey, British Columbia, while authorities in India and Canada were attempting to locate him. Facing accusations of involvement in a fraudulent scheme, Mishra had entered Canada in October, crossing the U.S. border undetected. Despite having his visitor visa canceled for "ghost-consulting," he managed to remain in the country.

Mishra was finally apprehended when he attempted to cross the U.S. border once again and charged with providing immigration advice without a license and counseling individuals to misrepresent or withhold information from authorities.

The alleged scam involved the distribution of fake Canadian college admission letters. As a result, a group of international students, potentially numbering in the hundreds, faced the threat of deportation due to misrepresentation in their study permit applications. These students claim they were unaware of the falsified admission letters and only discovered the deception when they applied for postgraduate work permits or permanent residence.

To legally offer immigration advice and services for a fee in Canada, individuals must be licensed lawyers or registered consultants with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Those lacking these qualifications are known as "ghost consultants."

Mishra's ability to enter Canada without a valid visa remains unclear, and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) declined to comment on the ongoing investigation surrounding him. Authorities had alerted Mishra about his inadmissibility due to organized criminality after he had already entered Canada, but he did not respond to their emails. Border officials initiated a search for Mishra, visiting his address in Surrey, and subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest. He was finally arrested when he tried to re-enter Canada from the U.S. via the land border.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser granted a reprieve to the group of Indian international students facing potential deportation. He ordered a task force investigation into each case to determine whether the students were innocent or complicit in manipulating Canada's immigration system. This decision halts the pending deportations until the investigation concludes.