Public consultation on immigration consultants

Highlights

Background and objectives

Key findings

Detailed findings

• Who seeks help from immigration consultants, and why?
• Experience with immigration assistance
• Sources of information consulted
• Who participated in this consultation?

Conclusion — Implications

Appendix — Questionnaire

Highlights

The following report summarizes the results of a public consultation on the use of immigration consultants, lawyers and other representatives, conducted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) in May 2009.

• Half of the respondents sought help with the immigration process. Among those who sought help, the majority chose immigration consultants rather than lawyers or family and friends.
• Four out of five respondents paid for the help they received with their immigration application. Most paid less than CAN$5,000, but some paid more than CAN$10,000.
• Most wanted help understanding the immigration process or thought that professional assistance would increase their chances of success. Just a few believed (erroneously) that they needed to hire a representative in order to immigrate to Canada.
• Satisfaction with the services paid for was evenly split, and almost one-third of respondents had negative experiences with consultants. However, very few reported their experience to anybody.
• CIC’s website was a key source of information at the initial stage, but so was word-of-mouth from family and friends.

Background and Objectives

The public consultation was conducted online in May 2009 to solicit feedback on the nature and scope of fraud in the immigration process.

On March 10, 2009, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced the launch of a public information campaign to combat immigration fraud and to warn against unscrupulous third-party intermediaries such as lawyers, consultants and labour recruiters. In April 2009, the Minister hosted a town-hall meeting in Toronto, and in May 2009, Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Alice Wong hosted one in Vancouver to hear first-hand from recent immigrants about their experiences with immigration representatives.

To ensure a wide reach, in May 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) posted an online questionnaire on its website to collect information from individuals who used immigration representatives to help with their immigration applications. The questionnaire was designed to solicit information on the nature and scope of fraud in the immigration process and to educate the public on how to better protect themselves against scams or wrongdoing by third parties.

Methodology

The invitation to participate in the consultations was posted on CIC’s website from May 4 to 27, 2009. In total, 11,200 individuals chose to respond to the survey. Of those, 38%, or 4,282 people, completed the full questionnaire.

Subgroup differences are reported where the difference between groups is 5% or larger, and where the size of each subgroup being compared (the number of individuals within each subgroup who answered that question) is at least one hundred.

Note: Because the consultation was conducted on a voluntary basis, the results are not statistically representative of the full range of possible respondents, and therefore can only be treated as directional in nature. As a result, the differences reported between subgroups have not been tested for statistical significance because the results of such tests would be meaningless given the non-representative nature of the sample.

Key Findings

Half the respondents sought help with the immigration process, mostly because of its perceived difficulty or to improve the chances of success.

Half of the online respondents sought help with the immigration process. More women than men sought help, and more of the respondents who were currently in Canada sought help. Among those who did seek help, immigration consultants were the most popular, followed by immigration lawyers, and then friends and family.

More than three-quarters of the respondents paid for the assistance they received, but very few paid more than CAN$10,000, and most paid less than CAN$5,000. More of the respondents currently in Canada paid for the help they received. Two-thirds of respondents chose to seek help from a person or an organization in Canada, and almost half took recommendations from friends and family.

The respondents paid for help chiefly because the process was perceived as difficult to understand and complete, but many also mistakenly believed that their chances of being accepted would improve if they hired professionals. More of the younger respondents felt they needed help with the process, while older respondents thought they would have a better chance of being accepted with professional help. Just over one in 10 erroneously believed that they needed to have a representative.

Satisfaction with services paid for was not universal, but few reported their negative experiences.

The respondents were evenly divided on satisfaction with services paid for; virtually equal numbers expressed satisfaction and dissatisfaction. More than one in 10 said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied; more of those not yet in Canada chose this non-committal option, likely because their immigration process was still incomplete.

Just over one-quarter of the respondents had a specific negative experience with the person or organization that helped with their immigration application. Most received inaccurate information, or were promised a job that did not exist when they arrived in Canada.

However, more than four in five of those who had a negative experience chose not to report it to anybody. This was chiefly because they did not know how or where to make a report, or because they did not believe it would help the situation. Of the few that did report the incident, most informed CIC, the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) or an immigration lawyer. Reporting of incidents was higher among those who engaged a person or an organization in Canada.

Many respondents provided advice for other applicants to help them avoid similar experiences. Most suggested thoroughly researching both the immigration process itself and the person or organization offering assistance, as well as avoiding any obvious “red flags,” such as large lump sum fees, guarantees of visas or expedited processing, or encouragement to provide fake documents.

For information, respondents turn first to the CIC website, and then to family and friends.

The Internet and word-of-mouth were the key sources for finding help with immigration applications. Half of the respondents turned first to the CIC website, and more than one in 10 also looked at other, non-governmental immigration websites. Just over one-quarter consulted family and friends.

The respondents were diverse in age, language and country of origin.

A wide variety of respondents from around the world participated in this consultation. Just one-third of the respondents were currently in Canada. The respondents spoke almost one hundred different languages (English being most common) and represented 128 different countries. Men were overrepresented, with more than two-thirds of the respondents identifying as male, and the large majority of them were between the ages of 26 and 44.

Detailed Findings

Who seeks help from immigration consultants, and why?

immigration consultants were the most popular form of help. Most respondents paid for assistance, sought help from sources in Canada, took recommendations from friends and family, and asked for help because the process was perceived as difficult.

Half of the respondents sought help with their immigration application, the majority from immigration consultants.

When asked whether someone helped them with their immigration application, such as providing advice on the process or helping to complete the forms, the respondents were evenly divided: half received help, and half did not.

Seeking help with immigration application

• More of those aged 26–54 got help with immigration applications, peaking at 55% among those aged 45–54. By contrast, just over one-third (37%) of those under 25 got help with their application.
• More women (54%) sought help than men (48%).
• Fewer Arabic (40%) and Spanish (41%) speakers got help with their application than did Urdu (50%) and English (49%) speakers.
• Many more of those currently in Canada (65%) got help with their immigration application than those who had never come to Canada (38%).

When asked who had helped them with their immigration application, more than half (52%) of the respondents said it was an immigration consultant, by far the most common answer. One in five (21%) used an immigration lawyer, and almost as many (15%) turned to friends or family. Fewer than one in 20 said they received help from labour, nanny/caregiver or student recruiters.

• The use of immigration lawyers and immigration consultants was highest among older applicants: 25% of those aged 45–54 used an immigration lawyer, and 57% of those aged 35–44 used an immigration consultant, while more of the respondents under 25 chose a student recruiter (7%) or consulted friends and family (26%).
• More men (24%) than women (15%) sought help from an immigration lawyer. More women (7%) than men (1%) got help from a nanny/caregiver recruiter.
• More of those who had never come to Canada (19%) turned to friends and family for help, compared to those who were currently in Canada (13%).
• More of those who used a source in Canada (26%) chose immigration lawyers, compared to those who got help in another country (11%). By contrast, more of those who used a source in another country (64%) chose an immigration consultant, compared to those who got help located in Canada (47%).

More than three-quarters of the respondents paid someone for help with their immigration application. Most paid less than CAN$5,000.

When respondents who had received help with their immigration application were asked whether they had paid for that help, more than four in five (82%) said that they had. A large majority of those who paid for help had paid less than CAN$5,000 (77%). Almost one in five (17%) paid between CAN$5,000 and CAN$10,000; and fewer than one in 20 paid more than that.

Paying for help with immigration application

• Fewer of the respondents under 25 paid for help with their application (70%) compared to a high of 86% among those aged 35–44.
• More of those currently in Canada (84%) paid for help with their application, compared to those who had never come to Canada (78%).
• Many more of those who got help from an immigration consultant (95%) said they paid for that help, compared to those who got help from some other source (68%). Similarly, many more of those who got help from an immigration consultant (47%) paid less than CAN$5,000 for that help, compared to those who got some other form of help (30%).
• More of those who got help in another country (80%) paid less than CAN$5,000, compared to those who got help in Canada (75%).
• More of those who came to Canada to study (79%) or to live permanently (76%) paid less than CAN$5,000, compared to those who came to Canada to work temporarily (64%). More of those who came to work temporarily (26%) paid between CAN$5,000 and CAN$10,000, compared to those who came to study (15%) or work permanently (19%).

Two-thirds of the respondents chose to seek help from a person or an organization in Canada. Almost half took recommendations from friends or family.

Respondents who received help with their immigration application were asked where the person or organization that helped them was located. Just over two-thirds (68%) said they received help from an individual or an organization located in Canada.

Of those who chose to seek help in another country, a wide range of locations was listed, including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, India, Philippines, Dubai, Hong Kong, Iran, Pakistan, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

• More of those under 25 (78%) found help located in Canada, compared to 66% of those aged 26–34.
• Many more of those currently in Canada (81%) found a helper in Canada, compared to those who had never come to Canada (51%). Instead, more of those who had never come to Canada (49%) found help in another country, compared to those were currently in Canada (19%).
• More of those who used an immigration consultant (39%) found help in a country other than Canada, compared to those who used another kind of help (24%). By contrast, more of those who got help from someone other than an immigration consultant (76%) found help in Canada, compared to those who used an immigration consultant (61%).

Location of help and how they were found

Almost half (48%) of the respondents who sought help with their immigration application received recommendations by word-of-mouth from friends and family. Around one in five found help through an advertisement (22%) or on the Internet (20%).

• More of the younger respondents, under 25, found help on the Internet (31%), compared to a low among those aged 26–34 (17%). More of those aged 26–34 found help through an advertisement (23%) and through word-of-mouth (49%).
• More men (22%) than women (16%) found help by going on the Internet.
• More of those currently in Canada (52%) found their helper through friends or family, compared to those who never came to Canada (44%). More of those who had never come to Canada found their source of help on the Internet (23%, compared to 17% of those who were currently in Canada), or in an advertisement (25%, compared to 20% of those currently in Canada).
• More of those who used an immigration consultant (30%) found that person through an advertisement, compared to those who used another kind of help (14%). More of those who used some other kind of help (53%) found help through word-of-mouth from family and friends, compared to those who used an immigration consultant (43%).
• More of those who sought help in Canada found help on the Internet (24%, compared to 14% of those who got help in another country), and through word-of-mouth (51%, compared to 42% of those who found help in another country). By contrast, more of those who found help in another country (35%) found it through an advertisement, compared to those who found help in Canada (15%).

Most respondents sought help to understand the process and to complete their applications, or because they believed their chances of being accepted would improve with professional help.

Just over one-third of the respondents (35%) chose to seek help with their immigration application because they needed help with both the process and completing their applications: both were perceived to be too difficult. Almost as many (28%) sought help because they thought they would have a better chance of being accepted if they hired professionals. More than one in 10 (14%) thought they needed to have a representative. Almost one in 10 (8%) said they didn’t have time to complete the forms.

Reasons for seeking help

• More of the respondents under 25 (44%) said they needed help to understand the process and complete the forms, or they didn’t speak or read French or English (7%). By contrast, more of those aged 35–44 (30%) thought they would have a better chance of being accepted if they had help, and more of those aged 45–54 thought they needed to have a representative (15%).
• More of those currently in Canada (38%) thought that they should hire someone because they needed help to understand the process and complete the forms, compared to those who had never come to Canada (31%). More of those who had never come to Canada (16%) thought they needed a representative, compared to those currently in Canada (11%).
• More of those who used an immigration consultant (33%) did so because they thought they would have a better chance if they hired a professional, compared to those who used another kind of help (23%).
• More of those who got help to understand the process and complete the forms were in Canada (38%), compared to those who found help in another country (31%). By contrast, more of those who found help in another country (32%) thought that they would have a better chance of being accepted if they hired someone, compared to those who found help in Canada (26%).

Experience with immigration assistance

Respondents were evenly split on satisfaction with services paid for. Few of those who had a negative experience reported the problem, chiefly because they thought it might not help or because they did not know how or where to make a report.

Satisfaction with services paid for was evenly split among respondents.

Virtually the same proportions of respondents were very or somewhat satisfied (39%) or very or somewhat dissatisfied (38%) with the service they paid for. However, more respondents reported being “very” dissatisfied (28%) than “very” satisfied (22%). More than one in 10 (15%) said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

Satisfaction with service paid for

• Dissatisfaction is highest among those aged 35-44 (40%), but so is satisfaction (39%). More of those under 25 did not answer this question (15%).
• Satisfaction with the services paid for was slightly higher among men. More men (42%) than women (33%) said they were very or somewhat satisfied, and more women (43%) than men (36%) said they were very or somewhat dissatisfied.
• More of those currently in Canada (41%) were very or somewhat dissatisfied with the service they received, compared to those who had not come to Canada (35%). However, more of those currently in Canada (44%) were also very or somewhat satisfied, compared to those who had not come to Canada (33%). By contrast, more of those who had not yet come to Canada (20%) were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied compared to those currently in Canada (11%). More of them also replied “don’t know” (13%) than did those currently in Canada (4%).

Almost one-third of the respondents had a specific negative experience in getting assistance with their immigration application.

Collectively, almost one-third of the respondents (30%) said they had had at least one of the negative experiences listed. Approximately one in 10 (9%) said they had been given incorrect advice or information, and one in 20 (5%) said they were promised a job that didn’t exist when they arrived in Canada.

Negative experiences

Just over one in 20 (7%) described some other type of negative experience, including fees being taken but not remitted; having to do themselves the work they were paying for; paying to receive generic information that was freely available; getting false promises of expedited processing times; problems with job offers; and general poor service.

• More of those aged under 25 or less said they were promised a job that did not exist (12%). More of those aged 45–54 said they found out that the information they were given was wrong (12%).
• More men (67%) than women (62%) selected “none of the above.”
• More of those who got help in another country (11%) described some unlisted form of negative experience, compared to those who got help in Canada (5%).

A small proportion of respondents reported their negative experiences. Of those who did, the largest proportion reported the experience to CIC.

Of the nearly 800 respondents who reported having a negative experience, more than four in five (82%) chose not to report the experience. Just fewer than one in five (18%) reported it.

• More of those who got help from someone other than an immigration consultant (21%) reported the negative experience they had, compared to those who got help from an immigration consultant (14%).
• More of those who got help in Canada (21%) reported their negative experience, compared to those who found help in another country (9%).

Reporting of negative experiences

Of those who did report their experience, the largest proportion (12%) turned to CIC. Almost as many (10%) reported it to the CSIC. Just fewer than one in 10 (8%) reported their experience to an immigration lawyer, and almost as many (7%) told a community organization.

• More of those who live in Canada (18%) reported their negative experience to the CSIC, compared to those who had not come to Canada (9%).
• More of those who used an immigration consultant reported their negative experience to the CSIC (16%, compared to 5% of those who used another form of help). More of those who used another form of help reported their experience to CIC (13%, compared to 8% of those who used an immigration consultant) or to a member of Parliament (5%, compared to none of those who used another form of help).
• Of those who reported a negative experience, respondents who got help inside of Canada reported their experience to CSIC(13%) and CIC (15%). However, the number of those who responded that they had a negative experience and got help outside of Canada is too small for meaningful comparisons.

Most chose not to report a negative experience either because they did not think it would help, or because they did not know where to report it.

Of those respondents who did not report the negative experience they endured in getting help with their immigration application, approximately one-third (34%) simply thought that reporting it would not help their situation. Almost as many (33%) said that they didn’t know where to go or how to file the complaint. One in 10 (10%) feared that they, or someone in their family, might get into trouble with Canadian immigration authorities. Only a handful (3%) thought they might have trouble with authorities in their country of origin.

Why negative incidents go unreported

One in five (21%) gave some other reason for not reporting the incident. These reasons included having some kind of personal relationship with the person helping them; believing that there was no proof to mount a case; believing that the fraud was common and there was no recourse; fearing deportation; being uncertain about the legitimacy of a complaint; and believing that the risk outweighed the potential benefits.

• More of those aged 35–44 (41%) thought it wouldn’t help the situation, compared to those aged 26–34 (35%).
• More women (37%) than men (31%) said they didn’t know where to go or how to file the complaint. Women also gave more “other” responses (27%) than men (17%). More men thought that reporting the incident wouldn’t help the situation (38%, compared to 28% of women), or believed that they might get in trouble with Canadian immigration authorities (12%, compared to 6% of women).
• More of those who had not come to Canada (39%) said they did not know where to go or how to file a complaint, compared to those currently in Canada (31%).
• More of those who used an immigration consultant (38%) chose not to report a negative experience because they did not think it would help their situation, compared to those who used a different kind of help (30%). Meanwhile, those who found help other than an immigration consultant (25%) were more likely to cite some other reason for not reporting a negative experience, compared to those who got help from an immigration consultant (16%).

Many respondents provided advice for other applicants to help them avoid similar experiences.

A total of 633 respondents provided comments when asked what they would want others in their situation to know so that they would not experience the same thing.

The key message of the aggregated responses appears to be that applicants should thoroughly research the immigration application process, and if they determine that they need a consultant, they should also thoroughly research the consultant to ensure their reputation and integrity. At all points during the application process, the applicant should maintain awareness of relevant CIC updates and of the consultant’s activities. Fees should be examined carefully to determine whether they are legitimate, whether they are being paid in the right place, and whether they will only come due when the work has actually been done. Any large lump sums, particularly if demanded in return for “guarantees” of visas or employment, should be treated with suspicion.

Sources of information consulted

The Internet and word-of-mouth were key sources for finding help with immigration applications.

Half of the respondents turned first to the CIC website. Many others looked to family and friends for information.

When asked where they first looked for information to start their immigration applications, half of the respondents (49%) said they looked at the CIC website. More than one-quarter (29%) turned to family and friends. More than one in 10 (15%) visited non-governmental immigration websites, and one in 10 (10%) went to a Government of Canada office abroad. Almost one in 20 (4%) used the CIC 1‑800 number.

Nearly one in 10 (8%) described some other source of information. These included advertisements; various agencies and immigration organizations; embassies; lawyers and immigration consultants; the Internet more broadly; newspapers; and recruitment agencies.

• More Urdu (34%) speakers relied on family and friends as an initial source of information than did other language groups, with a low of 28% among English and Arabic speakers. More Urdu (17%) speakers sought information on non-governmental immigration websites, compared to a low of 11% among Spanish speakers.
• More of those who got help from someone other than an immigration consultant (31%) first sought information from family and friends, compared to those who got help from an immigration consultant (25%).

Sources of information consulted first

Who participated in this consultation?

Most had never come to Canada, or had been here for less than 10 years. A plurality moved permanently to Canada or came to study. Many languages and countries were represented, and men and younger people were somewhat over-represented.

More than half of the respondents had never come to Canada; of those who had, most had arrived within the past 10 years.

A wide variety of respondents from around the world participated in this consultation. More than half of the respondents (56%) had never come to Canada; most others (34% collectively) had been in Canada for 10 years or less.

Length of time in Canada, and purpose for coming

Almost one-third of the respondents (32%) came to Canada to live permanently. Approximately one in five came to study (21%) or to work temporarily (18%). One in 10 was a tourist (10%), and just over one in 20 came to join family (7%). Of those who came to Canada to work temporarily, more had paid between CAN$5,000 and CAN$10,000 (26%) than had paid less than CAN$5,000 (15%).

• Many more of the younger respondents came to Canada to study, peaking at 49% among those aged less than 25, compared to a low among those aged 45–54 (5%). By contrast, older respondents aged 45–54 (45%) came to Canada to move permanently, compared to a low among those aged under 25 or less (11%).
• More of the respondents who were currently in Canada had come to work temporarily (19%, compared to 10% of those who had not yet come to Canada), or to live permanently (33%, compared to 20% of those not yet in Canada). More of those who had not yet come to Canada intended to come here as tourists (20%, compared to 8% of those already here in Canada).

Almost one hundred languages and 128 countries of origin were represented. The top languages were English and Arabic, and the top countries of origin were India and the United States.

Respondents listed almost one hundred different languages when asked what they spoke at home. More than half of the respondents (54%) spoke English at home while approximately one in 20 spoke Arabic (6%) and almost the same number spoke Spanish (4%).

Top 5 languages and countries of origin

More than one hundred home countries were represented by the consultation respondents. India headed the list, with more than one in 10 respondents (16%) identifying this country as the last one they lived in. Approximately one in 20 respondents last lived in the United States (7%), the Philippines (6%), China (5%) and Mexico (4%).

Many more men than women participated in the consultation. Most respondents were between 26 and 44 years of age.

Many more men than women responded to this consultation. More than two-thirds of the respondents were men (69%); just under one-third were women (31%). Almost half of the respondents were aged 26–34 (45%), almost one-third were aged 35–44 (30%) and just one in 10 were under 25 (12%) or 45–54 (10%).

Age and gender

Conclusion

Although the incidence of fraud and other forms of wrongdoing was not universal, a substantial proportion of respondents had a negative experience with the assistance they received on their immigration applications.

Appendix — Questionnaire

Tell us about your experiences with immigration consultants and labour, student or live‑in caregiver recruiters.

Please take a few minutes to share your information to help us improve the prevention of immigration scams and fraud.

The information you provide will be used for the purpose of better understanding the experience of recent immigrants with immigration consultants and overseas labour, caregiver or student recruiters.

Your participation is completely voluntary and your answers to this questionnaire will be kept strictly confidential. You will not be asked to give your name, case number or other contact information.

This questionnaire should take about 10 minutes to complete. It will be available until May 27, 2009.

1. Where did you look for information to start your immigration application? (Select all that apply.)

 Government of Canada office abroad
 CIC website
 CIC 1-800 number
 Other immigration websites (non-governmental)
 Other: ________________________________________________________

2. Did someone help you with your immigration application (advice on the process and/or help in completing forms)?

 Yes
 No (if your answer is no, please go to Question 15 at the end of the questionnaire)

3. Who helped you with your immigration application? (Select one.)

 Immigration lawyer
 Immigration consultant
 Labour recruiter
 Nanny/caregiver recruiter
 Student recruiter
 Friend/Family
 Other: ________________________________________________________

4. Did you pay this person or organization to help you complete your immigration application?

 Yes
 No (if no, please go to Question 7)

5. How much did you pay? (Select one.)

 less than CAN$5,000 (or equivalent)
 between CAN$5,001 and CAN$10,000 (or equivalent)
 between CAN$10,001 and CAN$15,000 (or equivalent)
 between CAN$15,001 and CAN$20,000 (or equivalent)
 over CAN$20,001 (or equivalent)

6. On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 means very dissatisfied and 5 means very satisfied) please indicate how satisfied you were with the service you paid for?

 1 = Very dissatisfied
 2
 3 = Neither
 4
 5 = Very satisfied
 Don’t know

7. Where was the person or organization that helped you with your immigration?

 Canada
 Another country (Please specify): _________________

8. How did you find this person or organization? (Select one.)

 Internet
 Advertisement
 Telephone book
 Word-of-mouth from friends or family
 Other: ________________________________________________________

9. Why did you hire someone to help you with your immigration application? (Select the one answer that best applies to you.)

 I didn’t have time to complete the forms myself
 I needed help to understand the process and to complete my application (too difficult)
 I didn’t speak or read English or French (at the time)
 I thought I would have a better chance of being accepted if I hired a professional
 I thought I needed to have a representative
 In order to work with the organization I came with
 Other: ________________________________________________________

10. Do any of the following statements apply to your experience? (Select all that apply. If none of this applies to you, go to Question 14.)

 I was promised a job that didn’t exist when I got to Canada.
 I was asked to pay a placement fee to get my job.
 I was guaranteed a visa and I didn’t receive one.
 I was asked to pay for forms or processes that I later found out were free.
 I was told to tell a story that wasn’t exactly true.
 I was offered or encouraged to use fake documents to include in my application.
 I later found out that the information and advice I was given was totally wrong.
 Other: ________________________________________________________

11. Did you report the incident or file a complaint?

 Yes
 No (If no, go to Question 13.)

12. If yes, where did you report the incident?

In Canada
 RCMP (Phonebusters Tipline)
 Police
 Provincial or territorial authorities
 Immigration lawyer
 Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC)
 Industry Canada (Canadian Consumer Information Gateway)
 Canada Border Services Agency (Border Watch Tipline)
 Citizenship and Immigration Canada
 Member of Parliament
 Church, mosque, synagogue or other religious organization
 Community organization
 Other: ________________________________________________________

Outside of Canada
 Government of Canada office abroad
 Local government authority (i.e. police, elected official)
 Other: ________________________________________________________

13. If no, why not? 

 I didn’t know where to go or how to file the complaint
 I didn’t think it would help my situation
 I, or someone in my family, might get into trouble with Canadian immigration authorities
 I, or someone in my family, might get into trouble with authorities in my country of origin
 Other: ________________________________________________________

14. What would you want others in your situation to know so that they don’t experience the same thing?
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

The following questions are for statistical purposes only: 

15. How old are you?

 under 25
 between 26 and 34
 between 35 and 44
 between 45 and 54
 over 55

16. Please indicate your gender:

 Male
 Female

17. What language do you speak  at home:

 English
 French
 Other: ________________________________________________________

18. What country did you last live in before you came to Canada?
________________________________________________________

19. How long ago did you arrive in Canada… (Select one):

 less than a year ago
 1–3 years ago
 4–10 years ago
 over 10 years ago
 born in Canada
 no longer in Canada
 never came to Canada

20. To get to Canada, did you come to…? (Select one):

 study?
 work for a temporary period of time?
 start a business?
 be a tourist?
 move permanently?
 join family?
 claim refugee status?
 Other: ________________________________________________________

Thank you for your participation. Your feedback will help us better understand the experiences of recent immigrants and help us to prevent immigration scams and fraud.

For additional information, please contact: Public Opinion Research and Analysis Unit at POR@cic.gc.ca.