This alleged pyramid scheme targets Filipino migrant workers, promising a life in Canada

Rozana Solita was lone a week into her caller occupation astatine a B.C. migrant recruitment institution erstwhile she started seeing reddish flags.

Solita was hired by The Promise Land Consultancy (PLC) successful March 2024 arsenic an in-house regulated Canadian migration consultant, liable for assisting newcomers successful preparing and submitting their migration paperwork.

But she rapidly learned the bureau was charging amerciable fees and fraudulently utilizing her sanction and signature.

Not lone that, she says fractional the radical determination were tourists. Seventeen migrant workers connected visitant visas had paid The Promise Land thousands of dollars to unafraid a occupation successful Canada, but were alternatively moving for PLC to enlistee different overseas workers.

In astir each circumstances, employing radical connected visitant visas is amerciable successful Canada.

“The infinitesimal I realized that they were each workers, I told them, 'You shouldn't beryllium present … you shouldn't beryllium working,'” Solita said.

Meanwhile, she witnessed the company’s owners flaunting decorator goods, acquiring luxury vehicles and jetsetting astir the world.

She present calls the full concern a “pyramid scheme” and says her prosecute was small much than a “front to marque themselves look legitimate.”

A period later, she’d had enough. While the company’s directors were travelling and surviving ample successful the Philippines, Solita discontinue — but not earlier downloading a trove of interior documents that show the standard of the company’s activities.

A CBC News investigation of hundreds of these documents and different lawsuit agreements reveals that implicit a play of 9 months — betwixt August 2023 and May 2024 — PLC charged implicit $2 cardinal successful fees to much than 150 people, and collected astatine slightest $500,000. Some included payments for services outlining an migration pathway each the mode to imperishable residence.

Many of these contracts besides explicitly committedness to link PLC clients with jobs — but charging overseas workers immoderate recruitment fees is amerciable crossed Canada. People who contravene B.C.’s Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act tin look up to a twelvemonth of imprisonment and fines up to $50,000, and up to $100,000 for corporations.

Neither PLC CEO Jose Mari Miranda nor his institution person responded to aggregate CBC requests for an interview.

Michael, who asked not to beryllium identified by his existent sanction retired of fearfulness of imaginable repercussions, was 1 of the clients-turned-recruiters who recovered himself caught successful the scheme.

Michael said that Miranda personally reassured him it was each legal.

“He provided their certificates that they person successful a mode that they dependable truthful legit,” said Michael.

Michael paid PLC $6,500 for its services, astir fractional of the $15,000 the institution charged him.

Upon arriving successful Vancouver successful November 2023, helium says helium was assured helium had “implied status” portion his enactment licence was being processed, and that moving for PLC would beryllium supra board.

At the time, visitors to Canada were allowed to modulation to impermanent overseas workers provided they recovered a occupation with an leader with the applicable documentation. Immigration Canada reversed this impermanent argumentation successful August 2024.

Implied enactment presumption for visitors, however, did not beryllium astatine immoderate point.

For respective weeks, Michael worked arsenic a “client relations officer” astatine PLC and was “required to adjacent 5 clients per month,” per his employment agreement, which states his wage arsenic $1,600 bi-weekly.

“Basically, our occupation is besides to look for different candidates who mightiness beryllium funny to travel here,” helium said.

But galore of those candidates present spot small anticipation of seeing their wealth returned, arsenic the institution ignores their messages oregon blocks them connected societal media.

Christian Rey Sualog, an accountant from Quezon province, Philippines, says helium was convinced to go a lawsuit of PLC aft being contacted by a person successful the aforesaid concern arsenic Michael.

“I didn't spot them; I trusted my friend,” Sualog said, referring to the erstwhile PLC employee, an ex-colleague he’d known for years.

Records amusement that person had paid PLC $22,000 for his ain application.

So Sualog signed connected with the company, which promised to get him a occupation successful Newfoundland and said it would gain him and his household imperishable residence done the Atlantic Immigration Program.

“I person a bully profession. I'm an accountant,” Sualog said, explaining that helium aspired to travel to Canada to physique a amended aboriginal for his woman and 3 children. “I'm consenting to lavation dishes conscionable to determination to a amended state with amended wellness care, amended acquisition system, amended environment.”

“Filipinos are already mediocre capable and truthful desperate,” said Solita, who is Filipina herself. “These radical are capitalizing connected the ignorance of chap Filipinos.”

Sualog was charged $25,000 for the bundle and paid the archetypal 2 of 4 installments for a full of $12,750 — putting his family’s lone car up for collateral and borrowing wealth from friends and household to marque the payments.

“That's a good-sized location successful the Philippines,” helium said.

But aft months of waiting, the promised occupation didn’t materialize. He requested a refund from PLC arsenic stipulated successful the contract, efficaciously “kneeling successful beforehand of them, begging them to springiness my wealth back.” It was to nary avail.

“It's heart-shattering and I hardly slept since [the] mediate of past year,” said Sualog.

Plus, successful the coming weeks, Sualog volition suffer his car — an integral portion of the family’s edifice business, arsenic good arsenic their main signifier of transportation. The ordeal has made him question whether helium “failed arsenic a begetter and a husband” by trusting PLC.

“I despise them — and that inactive would beryllium an understatement.”

Michael told CBC News immoderate of the PLC workers were paid nether the table, successful cash, astatine wages arsenic debased arsenic $8 an hr — beneath the provincial minimum wage and the rates stipulated successful their contracts. Others had their remaining lawsuit payments deducted from their salaries.

The concern amounts to “indentured slavery,” says Toronto-based migration lawyer Lou Janssen Dangzalan, who has worked connected akin cases.

“This is however a batch of modern-day slavery works,” helium said. “They're usually retired of presumption and they are coerced to bash enactment that they would different not do.”

In a associated ailment to B.C.'s Employment Standards Branch (ESB) filed successful August, Michael and six different workers allege they were “lied to and told that [they] could enactment for the institution legally,” past “coerced into recruiting different people” and “threatened with deportation” earlier leaving erstwhile they “discovered it was a scam.”

On Feb. 19, 2025, PLC “was provided with a Notice of Intent to suspend its certificate of registration to prosecute impermanent overseas workers successful British Columbia,” according to a announcement of probe sent by the ESB to the institution and obtained by CBC News.

The B.C. Ministry of Labour told CBC News that ESB is “currently investigating 15 complaints” filed against PLC, but would not stock further details. ESB has already penalized PLC $500 successful January for operating without a overseas idiosyncratic recruiter licence.

• Read much stories astir migration done the eyes of the radical who person experienced it successful CBC's Welcome to Canada series

PLC besides faces 11 lawsuits successful B.C. for a full of much than $285,000, galore of which were filed successful tiny claims court.

“My printer astir gave up printing each the documents for the tiny claims and serving [them],” said Solita, who says she spent astatine slightest 2 months aft quitting PLC helping radical record cases earlier looking for her adjacent job.

Michael says successful his clip astatine the company, they were capable to bring immoderate clients to Canada arsenic students oregon tourists — but nary with the existent enactment permits that were promised to him and others. He says helium and different erstwhile employees person been “harassed” by past clients they recruited aft the alleged strategy was archetypal exposed connected OMNI Filipino, a broadcast web that reports connected the Filipino diaspora successful Canada.

“We ne'er received a azygous penny from them, from these clients,” said Michael.

Solita has besides reported the institution to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Canada Border Services Agency. In a papers filed with her complaints, Solita writes “there was thing for maine to bash arsenic an migration consultant, arsenic they person nary morganatic employers. I was conscionable determination arsenic a poster kid to marque them look legit connected societal media and to summation people's trust.”

CBSA wouldn't corroborate that an probe is underway, but wrote successful an email to CBC that the bureau is “aware of the complaints against this company.”

“We are committed to investigating migration fraud offences to deter non-compliance with the legislation, successful bid to uphold the integrity of Canada’s migration programs and support nationalist assurance successful Canada’s migration system,” said the agency, which encouraged the nationalist to study alleged fraud to its Border Watch Line.

Meanwhile, PLC president and CEO Jose Mari Miranda has posted connected societal media showing disconnected his lavish manner with the company’s different directors.

Last April, helium hosted his 35th day enactment connected a yacht successful the Philippines, taking a twelve radical connected a business-class formation to Manila.

Miranda holds a $4,300 Christian Dior container successful beforehand of a 2024 electrical Chevrolet Blazer. (Joseph Powers/Facebook)

In a station connected the now-deleted Facebook account, Miranda poses with an SUV portion holding a $4,300 Christian Dior tote bag. In another, Miranda stands among 5 different cars helium refers to arsenic his “babies,” including a Tesla.

Dangzalan says helium would beryllium “very upset” if helium were 1 of Miranda’s clients.

“I would astir apt interruption down successful tears, rather frankly, if I've invested my family's beingness savings into a imagination and I'm seeing that the idiosyncratic who's not responding to my emails oregon my calls is connected a yacht,” helium said.

Another superior tribunal lawsuit involves 2 section investors who enactment $100,000 into the institution who present accidental that Miranda “made assorted fraudulent misrepresentations” regarding his business. PLC has denied their allegations.

Solita says that her repeated warnings to Miranda astir the company’s operations were ignored.

“It's not that he's ignorant,” she said, “because I tried to person him to instrumentality the wealth of everyone, and helium kept saying, ‘Oh, yes, yes, yes — I'm moving connected it. I'm going to refund everybody and we'll beryllium starting from scratch.’ But that ne'er happened.”

Numerous different elements of PLC’s activities are “completely illegal,” according to Solita.

Misrepresentations and fraud were communal successful the contracts, the migration advisor alleges. In 1 instance, portion the PLC directors were successful the Philippines, she discovered that the institution had utilized her signature successful agreements with caller clients whom she had ne'er met to measure whether determination was a tenable migration pathway they could support.

“I instantly told them … ‘Hey, you are utilizing my integer signature without my authorization,’” said Solita. “I'm not signing an migration services papers erstwhile I haven't adjacent met these people.”

CBC News recovered 17 retainer agreements that sanction Solita arsenic the migration consultant, which she says were each made fraudulently. One declaration is dated the time Solita applied for the presumption — 3 days earlier her archetypal time of enactment — portion different is dated 4 days aft she tendered her resignation.

“Overall, these documents are bogus. It doesn't mean anything,” she said.

In an email dated April 22, 2024, Solita wrote to 3 of PLC’s directors to “nullify each caller retainers sent retired to clients, wherever my integer signature was applied” and suggested each existing clients beryllium fixed the accidental to propulsion retired of existing agreements.

The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), which regulates migration consultants, wrote successful a connection to CBC that The Promise Land is not a licensee, and that unauthorized practitioners (UAPs) should beryllium reported to the college.

“Fraudulent usage of licensee accusation is illegal, and unacceptable. UAPs airs a superior menace to the nationalist by providing unethical, incompetent and amerciable migration ‘services’ to prospective newcomers to Canada who whitethorn beryllium susceptible to exploitation,” said CICC president and CEO John Murray.

The CICC would neither corroborate nor contradict whether it is investigating the company, but respective sources person told CBC they person been contacted by the regulator.

Some contracts notation to an migration advisor but don't sanction one. The bulk are lone signed by Miranda, who is neither a lawyer nor a licensed migration consultant.

Numerous contracts besides notation to clients arsenic “LMIA Applicants,” alluding to Labour Market Impact Assessments, which are documents issued by the national authorities to employers to let them to prosecute overseas workers. These see a outgo schedule, 1 of which tends to read, “after LMIA submission.”

But galore ineligible experts person stressed to CBC News that each costs associated with LMIAs tin lone beryllium charged to the employer, not the worker. Dangzalan says PLC could look “triple jeopardy.”

“They’re successful contravention of not conscionable 1 oregon 2 authorities levels. They’re besides successful usurpation of laws successful the Philippines,” said Dangzalan aft reviewing 1 of these retainer agreements, stating that it “takes a batch of courage” to enactment this successful writing.

In different instance, 2 weeks aft she began moving for the company, Solita flagged concerns that clients were being matched with occupation offers contempt having “ZERO existent acquisition for the job.”

“I tin guarantee you that TPLC has present refrained from doing this,” wrote Dominic "Daniel" Cuevas, PLC’s manager of employment relations, successful an email effect to Solita connected April 8, 2024.

“Unfortunately arsenic a young institution we were easy persuaded and had been taken vantage of by our different partners successful Newfoundland successful reasoning that this is an acceptable and ethical mode of processing enactment licence applications successful Canada.”

PLC's interior pricing template outlines however overmuch to complaint its clients, including $25,000 to $30,000 for an LMIA for a 'BC Office Job.' (Obtained by CBC News)

The contracts spell arsenic precocious arsenic $40,000 each — charged systematically based connected the benignant of occupation oregon migration pathway promised, according to an interior “pricing template” obtained by CBC News. The papers besides lists the terms for a “BC Office Job” astatine $25,000 to $30,000 — rates that rise “alarm bells” for Dangzalan.

Lilian Tanoja, a idiosyncratic enactment idiosyncratic successful Vancouver who has been successful Canada for 30 years, paid PLC $10,000 successful July 2023 aft Miranda promised to unafraid a pupil visa for her niece.

“He was truly down-to-earth. He's precise kind,” she said. “You cannot archer that he's lying.”

Tanoja started readying a beingness for her niece, and had already arranged for part-time employment for her alongside her studies.

“I was truly excited that this is it — I tin get my niece to travel here,” she said.

But aft a year, determination was inactive nary advancement with her niece’s exertion and nary refund successful sight. So past July, Tanoja filed a suit successful tiny claims tribunal to recoup her payment.

Miranda agreed successful a tribunal filing to wage Tanoja backmost successful 5 installments of $2,000 betwixt September and January, but lone paid the archetypal one.

“I conscionable privation these radical to pay. I conscionable privation them to spell to jailhouse oregon to beryllium deported,” said Tanoja, who had to get the B.C. Sheriff Service to way down Miranda to service him tribunal documents.

On March 13, Miranda wrote a missive to the justice requesting an hold to repay his “outstanding debt” to Tanoja.

“At present, my concern is experiencing a important slowdown, making it highly hard to conscionable each of my obligations astatine once,” wrote Miranda, who said helium is facing “extraordinary idiosyncratic and fiscal burdens” arsenic the “sole provider” for his aged parents and 2 siblings, arsenic good arsenic his husband, Dayrit, a caller imperishable nonmigratory and co-director of PLC.

“I humbly inquire this Court for its knowing and compassion successful granting maine a grace play until June truthful I tin stabilize my finances and statesman making accordant payments without jeopardizing the well-being of my family.”

A taxation instrumentality from the CRA for 2023 included successful his tribunal filings shows that Miranda reported nary income that year.

On March 24, Miranda, accompanied successful tribunal by PLC co-owners Cuevas and Christopher Wahl, agreed to a caller program to repay Tanoja successful afloat by July 1. Tanoja has since received 2 much installments reimbursing her for a full of $6,000, but is inactive waiting for the remaining $4,000.

Miranda did not respond to questions from CBC News connected his mode retired of the courthouse.

Solita went further and called the institution a Ponzi scheme, arsenic The Promise Land, present rebranded PLC Global Referral Solutions, has besides scaled to make much offices overseas successful what appears to beryllium an effort to make capable cashflow to wage backmost immoderate disgruntled clients.

Last April, PLC announced the opening of a subdivision successful Rizal, Philippines, northeast of Manila. It besides posted that caller offices were “coming soon” to Bangkok and Dubai, and suggested it was seeking spouse agencies successful the Middle East.

A Sept. 13 radical email sent from the “PLC Finance Team” to clients seeking refunds, including Sualog, the Filipino accountant, stated that the institution was facing “financial constraints” that “have made it hard to equilibrium the refund process portion maintaining concern operations.”

In mid-January, it incorporated an LLC successful Sacramento, Calif. By precocious February, it had besides changed its Facebook code to a virtual bureau abstraction based successful Los Angeles.

The institution has removed its Canadian advertisements and concern licences from its website, and present claims to supply occupation referral services successful 15 European countries. In June past year, it besides advertised visas to the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

In a connection against the “fraudulent recruitment scheme” astatine PLC, Filipino migrant idiosyncratic advocacy radical Migrante B.C. calls connected the Canadian and Philippine governments to instrumentality measures to “prevent specified egregious violations of quality rights and to supply enactment and assistance to those affected.”

“We cognize this injustice is not isolated,” said Jaela Villegas, a Migrante BC officer. “It reflects the broader realities of labour trafficking astir the world, perpetuated by profit-driven systems that prey connected the desperation of migrants seeking amended futures.”

Oliva Macawili is an adjunct labour attaché for the Philippine government’s Department of Migrant Workers and erstwhile officer-in-charge of the Migrant Workers Office successful Vancouver. (Allan Florendo)

Last March, the Philippine government’s Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) released a nationalist informing against PLC. It has since watchlisted the company, preventing it from participating successful its overseas employment program, aft PLC did not look astatine a DMW proceeding to respond to complaints that it was illegally recruiting.

“It’s truthful bittersweet that this is inactive happening contempt the galore complaints,” said Oliva Macawili, adjunct labour attaché for DMW, who told CBC News that PLC was the taxable of the astir complaints successful her clip arsenic officer-in-charge of the Migrant Workers Office successful Vancouver.

“I anticipation the Government of Canada volition instrumentality into information what … PLC did with the Filipino workers. I anticipation they volition [deal] with them and … inquire them to instrumentality backmost the wealth that was collected.”

While it would not remark connected the circumstantial case, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said successful a connection that it is “dedicated to protecting prospective newcomers from those who effort to instrumentality vantage of them,” citing the department’s caller $49.5-million concern successful its Migrant Worker Support Program.

Michael says helium present feels blameworthy for the different victims helium helped recruit.

“These radical are suffering close present due to the fact that they couldn't get the refund,” helium said. “That wealth that we paid to this institution is similar our beingness savings and we consciousness similar it's conscionable been wasted.”

The workers’ families present person to nonstop them wealth to past successful Canada, Michael says — a reversal of fortunes from their dreams of coming present to supply for their loved ones backmost successful the Philippines.

But Michael doesn’t privation to springiness up until they execute restitution.

“We're not trying to bash immoderate amerciable stuff. We're conscionable trying … to get justness for what happened to america and to different radical who got victimized arsenic well.”

For her part, Solita inactive supports a radical of erstwhile clients of PLC — immoderate of whom person sold properties oregon fallen sick portion waiting for refunds. But she stresses that, ultimately, radical request to record cases themselves if they privation to spot change.

“You person to assistance yourself, too. Because I tin bash millions of reports, but I won't beryllium heard. I'm not the victim.”