Price of a Promise: Chinese family Returns Home Broke After Paying $40,000 for Canadian Residency
A Chinese family has returned too their home country financially devastated after paying $40,000 to a Saskatchewan-based immigration consultancy, june HR Solutions Inc., for assistance with a permanent residency request. TingTing Biao alleges she was overcharged and given misleading advice, ultimately leading to her application being rejected.
Biao’s story highlights concerns about a lack of oversight within Canada‘s immigration consulting industry.
Biao initially contacted June HR Solutions in 2021, seeking help navigating the Canadian immigration process. She and her husband hoped to build a new life in canada for their family. According to Biao, Su, the primary contact at June HR Solutions, presented herself as highly knowledgeable and capable of securing their residency.
“She said she could definitely help us,” Biao stated.
However, the costs quickly escalated.Biao paid a total of $40,000 for services including application preparation, document translation, and legal advice.This figure, according to immigration experts, is significantly higher than typical fees for similar services.
“it’s an open Wild West when it comes to consultants. People can charge whatever they want,” said immigration lawyer Richard Kurland,who reviewed Biao’s case. “You have to protect these people. They are vulnerable. They clearly do not know how our system works and what things really cost.”
Further complicating matters, Su referred to her husband, Zheng Tao Liu, as ”lawyer Liu” in WeChat conversations with Biao. However, the Law Society of Saskatchewan confirmed that Liu is not authorized to practice law in the province.
June HR Solutions does list Zheng Tao Liu as a licensed consultant. In an emailed response to CBC’s inquiries,Su stated she serves as an assistant to her husband,a licensed consultant,and provides advice based on his guidance and her own experience.
“In this role, I assist in serving clients, which I believe is both my right and my duty,” Su wrote. She also clarified that her husband is a lawyer in China, but never claimed he was a lawyer in canada. Regarding the fees, Su stated that Canada’s free market allows her to set her own pricing, and that Biao agreed to the pricing at the time of signing. She also alleged that Biao and her husband have damaged her professional and personal reputation.
Despite the significant financial investment and the assistance provided by June HR Solutions, Biao’s permanent residency application was eventually rejected.
Kurland believes Biao’s case exemplifies a systemic problem with the Collage of Immigration and Citizenship consultants (CICC). He argues the CICC lacks the necessary resources and authority to adequately protect the public.
“What concerns me the most is the amount of money in play for a simple permanent resident application, as well as the facts and advice given to these people,” Kurland said.
He proposes several solutions,including fully implementing legislation passed in 2019 to strengthen oversight of consultants,which would establish an insurance fund to compensate victims. He also suggests publishing typical fee ranges for immigration services, increasing the CICC’s resources and authority – including the power to levy fines – and conducting random spot checks of consultants.
Now back in China, Biao is left with nothing but debt and emotional scars. She hopes sharing her story will warn other newcomers about potential scams.
“In the dream, I’m crying,” Biao said. “My husband shakes me awake … and I’m still crying. It’s true.”
