4 min readJalandharMar 23, 2023 03:44 PM IST
First published on: Mar 18, 2023 at 05:50 PM IST
More than 700 Indians in Canada are facing deportation after their college admission offer letters, based on which they had entered the country three-four years ago on a study visa, were found to be fake. The offer letters had allegedly been forged by their agent Brijesh Mishra, who facilitated their admission into other colleges after they landed in Canada. The students then finished their studies and got jobs. The fraud came to light only after they applied for permanent residency, and the Canadian Border Security Agency flagged the forged letters.
How did this racket operate? Why were the students given forged letters when they eventually did secure admissions to other colleges? The Indian Express explains.
What does an educational consultancy/agent do?
Mishra, who is currently missing, headed a firm called Education Migration Services in Jalandhar and charged each student lakhs of rupees to process their documents.
Lots of students, when applying for a study visa after Class 12, approach an agent or consultancy firm. They provide the agent with their educational proofs, IELTS qualification certificate, and financial documents. Based on this, a file is prepared by the consultant, in which the students mention their preferences for educational institutes and courses. The consultancy also gives its inputs for the choice of colleges and courses.
Most students prefer government-run colleges and a few premier private institutes.
The consultant then applies on behalf of the students to the desired colleges. After getting an offer letter from the college, the student is required to deposit a fee, which he/she pays to the agent, who further pays the college, and then the students get a letter of Acceptance (LoA) and fee deposited receipt from the said college. Also, students are required to get a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), which covers the cost of living and advance payment of one-year.
Based on these documents, students’ visa is applied for online, and then they have to appear for biometrics before their visa is granted or rejected by the embassy.
How did the students not realise their offer letters were fake?
Consultants and agents who facilitate students are registered with the state government. Those who work in the business told The Indian Express that the students generally trust their agents, and so do not check if the offer letter is genuine.
Also, Canada allows students to switch colleges after landing in the country, so the agent simply told them their admission in a particular college had “fallen through”, or that another college could be a better fit for them.
What is the role of the embassy while issuing visas?
According to experts, Canadian Embassy officials need to check all the attached documents carefully, including the offer letters from colleges, before granting a visa.
Why were offer letters forged when admission in other colleges was possible?
Experts cited two major reasons for this.
An educational consultant who has been sending students to Canada for more than a decade said Mishra must have been aware that offer letters from reputable institutes are not subjected to much scrutiny. “But it is quite surprising how a big number of offer letters from a particular college was ignored at the embassy level, where a lot of scrutiny takes place before issuing the visa,” the consultant said.
“The second reason is that if a particular college is quite reputable, an offer letter from it enhances the visa success rate, as compared with other private colleges,” he said.
To change colleges after landing in Canada, students have to inform Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), along with providing the details of Designated Learning Institute (DLI), the ID number and the name of the new college, which the duped students did.
Lots of students, when applying for a study visa after Class 12, approach an agent or consultancy firm. (Express file photo for representation) 
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