A Brampton-based immigration consultant of Indian origin has closed his Instagram account following a row over videos in which he flaunted a luxury watch reportedly worth $300,000. The consultant, who went by the Instagram handle “Canadian Visa King” and Facebook username ‘Visa King office Canada Channi Bhai,’ went viral after posting clips boasting about the number of Canadian visas he claimed to have secured for clients.Some people said he was taking advantage of migrants who wanted to move to Canada. They also said his flashy lifestyle made immigration look easier and more successful than it really is, hiding the financial struggles many face. Others accused immigration consultants of taking advantage of system loopholes, including prioritising relatives or accepting bribes.

Much of the criticism has focused on the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) program. Allegations have emerged that jobs in sectors such as trucking, farming, and hospitality are being sold to migrants through informal networks between Punjab and Canada. These networks are said to operate via unregistered agencies. However, these claims have not been legally proven. People are also worried that migrants come to Canada with a lot of debt, which can make them easy targets for exploitation.Under Canadian law, Indian citizens require visas or permits to enter Canada, including visitor visas, study permits, work permits, or pathways to permanent residence. Applications are processed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, where approval depends on eligibility and proper documentation.

A Canadian Entrepreneur weighed in on the overall matter and said: “As you can see, and as you can imagine, immigration in Canada is a very big business. In fact, I’ve heard from a lot of people who are here on a temporary basis that have been taken advantage of.” They added: “I’ve heard from individuals who have paid $40,000 just so they can get a job and just so they can work 80 hours a week under minimum wage.They literally pay this money as a path to a promise to become Canadian citizens.The whole LMI A program, I think is probably the biggest scam we have across Canada.And I got to be honest with you, I feel horrible for these immigrants. They concluded: “$40,000 coming from a third world country is such an impossible task to do.Let alone doing it and saving that amount in Canada.They pay it, they do it in the hopes that they can have a better life for their family, only to be taken advantage of.”