700 Indians in Canada face deportation over fake college offer letters: How the racket operated
More than 700 Indians residing in Canada are now at risk of deportation due to the recent discovery that their college admission offer letters, which served as the basis for their study visas several years ago, were forged. The mastermind behind this fraudulent scheme was Brijesh Mishra, an agent who facilitated the students’ admission into other colleges after their arrival in Canada. The students successfully completed their studies and secured employment, only to have their deceit exposed when they applied for permanent residency and the Canadian Border Security Agency flagged the counterfeit letters.
The modus operandi of this racket involved the students approaching an agent or consultancy firm when applying for a study visa after completing Class 12. These students provided their educational documents, IELTS qualification certificate, and financial records to the agent. The consultant then prepared a file containing the students’ preferences for educational institutes and courses, along with the consultancy’s recommendations. Typically, students expressed a preference for government-run colleges or select private institutions.
The agent would then submit applications on behalf of the students to the desired colleges. Once an offer letter was received from a college, the student was required to submit a fee, which they paid to the agent. The agent, in turn, forwarded the payment to the college, and the students received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) and a fee receipt from the respective college. Additionally, students were also required to obtain a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) to cover their living expenses and make an advance payment for one year.
Using these documents, the students would apply for their visas online and subsequently undergo biometrics before the embassy granted or rejected their visas.
The question arises as to why the students did not realize their offer letters were fake. According to industry insiders, students generally place trust in their agents and fail to independently verify the authenticity of the offer letters. Furthermore, Canada allows students to switch colleges after arriving in the country, so the agents often informed them that their admission to a particular college had fallen through or suggested alternative colleges that might be more suitable.
Experts have highlighted the role of Canadian embassy officials in issuing visas, emphasizing the need for meticulous scrutiny of all attached documents, including the offer letters from colleges, to prevent such fraudulent activities.
The reasons for forging offer letters when admission to other colleges was possible are twofold. Firstly, agents like Mishra may have been aware that offer letters from reputable institutes are subjected to less scrutiny. However, it is concerning that a significant number of offer letters from a specific college went unnoticed during the embassy’s scrutiny, which typically involves careful examination before granting visas. Secondly, an offer letter from a prestigious college can significantly enhance the chances of visa approval compared to private colleges.
It is worth noting that students who wished to change colleges after arriving in Canada were required to inform the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) by providing details of the Designated Learning Institute (DLI), including the ID number and the name of the new college. Unfortunately, the deceived students complied with these regulations and submitted the necessary information as instructed.
