pauloneal

Hi there,

I am new here. I am after some help.

1, i am not sure which category this post should go in. So im sorry about that.
2, i am desperate to get myself and my family over to Canada. My brother lives there and i having a blast! we have been over on holiday and love the country.

So, we have paid a company back in September 2013 to help me get a job. They have turned up with nothing! Visamigrate is the company. I have paid £2500. Their communication is crap! I have had about 4 jobs from them. Thats even if they are real jobs!!

I have been looking and have applied for some myself (I run a web department for an exhibition and publishing company). I have not heard anything. I no i am in a competitive market but i cant see anyway of getting over there!

Does anyone have any advice.

Many thanks

bc_guy

It's illegal for recruitment agencies to charge foreign workers money.

christmasoompa

^^^ yep, what he said - by law, no company can charge you anything for helping to find work, they're only allowed to charge the employer.

I've not heard of Visamigrate, although I just Googled and the auto suggest box ( of most searched terms on Google) came up with 'visamigrate complaints' first!

I can't see an ICCRC number on their website (which they have to display if they're licensed Canadian immigration consultants), although I've only had a quick look on my phone.

What are they actually supposed to be doing for that £2500, presumably a PR app for that kind of money? What route to PR were they proposing for you?

There are over 50 routes to PR, without knowing everything about you we can't know which you could go for, but have a look at the Wiki for info. If you do need a job offer to get a visa, there's also a great Job Hunting section.

HTH, good luck.

JamesM

Actually their online reviews seem pretty good.

What did they agree to do for the money in the contract?

You should review them and contact for a refund if you are unhappy. I doubt very much that they can secure you employment in Canada.

pauloneal

Thanks everyone... so this was the "steps" that we signed up for....

##################
Step 1
This stage includes
Detail Assessment of your Skills, work experience and Qualification in relations to migrations
Reviewing your Documents.
Migration documentation assessment
CV prepared as per international standard
Accurate portfolio will be prepared according to desire employment.

Step 2
All required documents will be passed to our Canadian office as well as Recruitment companies and employers based in Canada
This stage includes
Detail help and assistant In order to secure suitable employment for Period of 6 Month
Approaching International Recruiters and Employers behalf of you in order to market your portfolio
Marketing your Resume in Canadian job market and responding to prospective offers
Updating you about any changes in the job market and updating your resume as per the requirement.

Step 3
When employment is offered and accepted, we will then process the visa applications for you and your family to obtain Entry clearance Visa as well as Dependent visa.
This stage includes
Working with the employing company ensuring they meet the criteria to employ non Canadian Nationals
Submitting LMO application on behalf of the employing company
Visa applications and legal paperwork filled out and submitted to the Canadian Embassy by our specialist case management team

Step 4
Once the application has been submitted to the Canadian Embassy the application will take approximately 4 to 8 Weeks

####################

So from what i can make out, we are stuck on step 2!!!

However, my research has found that they didn't even do step 1 correctly. My CV was meant to be made into a Resume... It wasn't!! I had to do that.

I have tried several times to contact them for a refund but i cant get through to them. I have even spoken to the MD around a month ago. He said he would speak to his workers and then get back to me in a week. I have now not heard anything!!

kellys247

we are also new to this but we didnt have to pay anyone for the things listed above!
we are from scotland and my husband just got offered a job on fri there and we went through Globalforce.
They set up hubbys profile, alerted us to which areas were looking for his type of skilled work, we had skype interviews and numerous phone calls and emails keeping us informed.
I cant comment as to wether the company you have paid is legit or not but as far as our experience goes, we havent paid a penny to anyone to get this far.
Good luck and i hope it all works out for you.

christmasoompa

A recruitment agency would have done any of that for free, or you could have done it yourself.

Again, you could have done this yourself (and if you read the Wiki, you'll see that applying for jobs remotely is very unlikely to result in a job offer no matter who does it). Plus they shouldn't be charging you for this! http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Employment_Agencies'_Fees-Canada



'Entry clearance visa' and 'dependent visa' - WTF?!? They're not even proper visa names. Submitting the LMO is something the company has to do, not you, so why should you pay for them to do that on your behalf?? And the 'visa applications and legal paperwork' doesn't even need to be submitted to the Canadian Embassy, you can just get your TWP at the airport when you arrive with no form filling whatsoever.

Sorry, but the above has made my blood boil!! There is absolutely no way you should be paying anything for that, even if they do submit the TWP to the Embassy (or Canadian High Commission actually), then it's a 2 or 3 page document so hardly worth thousands of pounds! The LMO you can't apply for anyway, the employer has to.

The amount they're charging isn't far off what a licensed consultant will charge for a full PR app, so to charge it for a 2 page form is absolutely ridiculous. I'm cross on your behalf that they've made you pay out for all that!!!

Aviator

Get the name and number of their ICCRC registered individual and file a complaint if you feel you have been improperly treated. Visa Migrate does not come up in a search of the ICCRC database.

UK registration:

VISAMIGRATE LIMITED
81 OXFORD STREET
LONDON
ENGLAND
W1D 2EU
Company No. 07625840

pauloneal

So do i need to get a solicitor involved to get my money back? If so, can anyone recommend a good one?

I am thinking now i have been bent over and shafted!!

pauloneal

can i also ask though, is it a UK law or a canadian law about charging to find work?

Visamigrate are a UK firm...

Aviator

Perosnally, for £2500 not worth involving a lawyer, they will cost you more than you might recover. First off you need to look at your paperwork, specifically any agreements and determine if you have a legitimate claim. Not if you feel you have a claim, but if you have a claim in law.

This is how I would do it if I had a legitimate claim against a business. Write to the company by registered mail requesting a refund and giving reasons why. If they refuse or fail to respond within the time frame given, write again, this time stating what I would do if they refused to respond or give me a refund. This would be small claims court for me.

If you chose to go this route, you should be certain you have a legitimate claim. Maybe get a half hour appointment with a lawyer to help you figure out if you have a claim, if you do, do the rest yourself.

You could also file a complaint with ICCRC if you know the registration details. I doubt this would get you a refund.

For me, I would be unlikely to pursue £2500, the time involved is more that it is worth. I would put it down to experience and move on. My last small claim took 4 years. The other guy sued me, I counterclaimed and was successful in proving the counterclaim. The other party was totally ill-prepared.

Aviator

If you paid a UK firm the money and you live in the UK, it would be a UK issue for the courts to claim you refund.

For charging to find work in Canada, it would be a matter for Canadian authorities, but they would only have jurisdiction over a Canadian registered company or immigration agent.

christmasoompa

Did you read the link I gave you? It's law in Canadian provinces.

But even if they're in the UK (and if they don't have a Canadian office then it makes their job promise even more laughable), then they're charging you a ridiculous amount of money for 2 or 3 pages of paperwork (as said above, the LMO app has nothing to do with you anyway).

Personally, I'd complain and try and get some money back, but if you've signed a contract I don't know how successful you'll be tbh. Presumably you've only paid a percentage, with the rest due after the work is done?

pauloneal

Yes, i have read the rest of it now!! They are based in the UK...

No, i have paid the whole amount!! All the companies that i looked up wanted money upfront!

Basically, i am now stuck - i have no idea who to turn too to help find me a job!!

kellys247

Get in touch with globalforce! All they ask of you is to send your c.v, details etc an qualifications to them via email, they then look at the need for your type I work in certain provinces and advise if your line of work is required or not! They then put you through a telephone interview to determine your application!
If they feel you can get a job in canada they then arrange a skype call to meet you etc and find out a bit more about your trade and your intentions.
You email them all your qualifications and such and they then make up a profile that future employees can view and theyr job is to keep you informed of which areas are interested!
Legit companies shouldn't require an upfront fee for anything as that is mostly covered by the employer that offers you a job! They basically just act as the middle man.
Hope you sort out your legal problem and get your money back! And beat of luck in achieving your job and move to canada.