Desperate people hoping to immigrate to Canada. Greedy consultants and agents sowing seeds of hope while grabbing thousands of dollars from would-be immigrants, reports Leo Barros of Truck News. 

Article below: 

This is not a Hollywood movie script; this reality is playing out every day across the country. The aftermath of use, abuse and exploitation in the labor market impact assessment (LMIA) program has left a trail of despair and shattered dreams.

Take the case of Jagjit Singh (name changed), who arrived in Canada on a spousal visa in 2022, following his wife, who came as a student in 2020. The couple later moved to Montreal.

With his paperwork expiring in 2025, Singh was looking for a way to stay. He paid $11,000 to a registered immigration consultant in Brampton, Ont., who promised him an LMIA from a trucking company in Nova Scotia.

After a few weeks and no sign of the LMIA, Singh contacted the trucking company. An official told him they did have an LMIA job, but it had expired.$3,000 paid to an immigration consultant for an LMIA. A total of $11,000 was paid. (Photo: Supplied)

Realizing the immigration consultant had pulled a fast one, Singh sought a refund. He was provided paperwork, but the money was never returned.

Nitin Chopra, co-founder of Hashtag Media Group, said the same immigration consultant has duped many others, some of whom are truck drivers and mechanics.

“LMIA jobs were promised, people paid in cash and via e-transfers. The jobs did not materialize,” he said.

Chopra said trucking companies were involved and that LMIAs were being sold for prices ranging from $10,000 to $70,000. He estimates the consultant, who later shut shop, made around $20 million over the past three years from people seeking jobs in various sectors. Many victims have remained silent.

Stephen Laskowski, president and CEO of the Ontario Trucking Association, said he is aware that occupations within the trucking industry are being used as a gateway into Canada, and that some entrants have no intention of becoming truck drivers.

An analysis of 2022–2024 LMIA data provided by the OTA shows a strong concentration of approvals among a relatively small group of employers, particularly within Ontario’s trucking and logistics sector. 

Approvals peaked in 2023 and remained elevated into 2024. As of March 2025, job offers could no longer earn candidates additional points in the Express Entry selection process.

The data show several firms receiving repeated approvals across multiple years, indicating sustained reliance on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program rather than short-term labor shortages.

Laskowski said the OTA presented the data to government, but there appears to be a lack of political will to address the issue.

LMIA approvals were heavily clustered among transportation and freight operators, with individual employers frequently receiving 20-40 approved positions per year.

If an LMIA was sold for an average of $30,000 and 30 were sold, roughly $900,000 could be generated annually to be shared among employers, consultants and agents.

Manan Gupta, CEO of Brampton-based Skylake Immigration, said rampant abuse has undermined the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.

Over the past few years, LMIAs were sold to boost Comprehensive Ranking System scores, leading to permanent residency invitations and, later, Canadian citizenship.

Some became truck drivers out of necessity; others left the industry at the first opportunity.

Laskowski said some individuals should not be on the road, adding that the public is sharing highways with drivers who pose safety risks.

Gupta added some company owners who benefited from selling LMIAs were unconcerned about complaints of wage theft or abuse.

Full article here.