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Dubai: Couple camps out at immigration firm for 4 days over failed Canada residency promise

They claim that the company refused to process their papers or refund the money they had paid

Published: Sat 10 Aug 2024, 6:00 AM

Updated: Sun 11 Aug 2024, 9:35 AM

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Image used for illustrative purpose. Photo: File

Image used for illustrative purpose. Photo: File

A Sharjah couple refused to leave a Dubai immigration firm's office for four days after the company allegedly failed to secure their permanent residency in Canada, despite upfront payments.

Frustrated, RB and his wife SB, camped out in the firm's Plaza Building office in Al Rigga, Deira, from Monday morning to Thursday evening. The couple claims that the company refused to process their papers or refund the money they had paid.

"We didn't want to resort to this, but we were left with no choice," said SB, a primary school teacher. The couple said they paid CAD 40,000 (approximately Dh106,958) over three years but received no updates or refunds.

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RB, who works in sales, explained that they initially applied under the Canadian government's Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP) in 2019. The AIP offers a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers in Canada's Atlantic provinces. When that didn't work out, the consultants recommended they apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), a document needed by employers in Canada before hiring foreign workers.

"They arranged a job interview for me, and that was the last we heard from them," SB said. "For months, we’ve been asking for updates, but our requests went unanswered. Our last payment of CAD 15,000 (Dh40,100) was made 10 months ago in October."

On Monday, the couple packed a small bag and occupied the firm's fifth-floor office, refusing to leave until they received a firm answer. According to RB, "We slept on the couch, ordered take-out food, and used a common washroom in the building."

When Khaleej Times visited the office on Thursday afternoon, staff confirmed the couple’s presence but declined to comment further. Khaleej Times spoke directly with SB and RB, who shared their plight. The couple is now considering legal action.

An email sent by Khaleej Times to the company elicited no response. On July 4, Khaleej Times had sent another email regarding a similar complaint from a Pakistani couple who alleged that the firm had failed to secure their residency despite upfront payment. That email, too, received no response despite reminders. The Pakistani couple has now taken the matter to court, adding to the growing list of legal cases against the firm, with the first hearing scheduled for August 12.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Javed, another client from Oman, reached out to Khaleej Times stating that he paid the company Dh70,000 for immigration to Canada. Javed mentioned that he visited their office with his family earlier this week but did not receive any positive response.

In recent years, hundreds of residents have seen their immigration dreams dashed as rogue companies either fail to fulfil their promises or disappear overnight with their money.

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