With the hope of starting a new life in Canada along with his wife and children, Dattaray Avhad paid a lawyer for more than $ 24,000 to help him find a job as a cook in Newfoundland and Labrador and obtain a permanent residence.
But more than a year later, he is in a work permit for vulnerable workers and is collecting shifts like a taxi driver, without a clear path to permanent residence.
He is still fighting to recover his money.
The lawyer, Amardeep Singh, announces its immigration services in social networks, with available kitchen work and “immigration to Canada within 6-12 months.”
Singh’s services cover legal representation for migrants and employment recruitment, something that immigration experts described CBC News as “little ethical” and exploiter.
“He [is] Just trying to deceive people, “said Avhad.
When Avhad emigrated from Mumbai, he said that Singh promised him a job and take his wife and children to Canada.
Six months after paying, Avhad accepted a job offer with Shenanigans Bar & Grill in Conception Bay South, working in the kitchen. He said the work gave him a closed work permit that only allowed him to work there.
But Avhad was not given the promised salary in his employment contract.
CBC News has reviewed a employment contract signed by Avhad and Singh, which says Avhad would be paid $ 16 per hour. CBC News also reviewed a piece of payment from July 26, 2025 showing that they paid $ 15.60 per hour.
I wanted to start a new life in Canada as a cook, but now it is picking up shifts as a taxi driver. Dattary Avhad said he started when he paid the lawyer, Amardeep Singh, for immigration services. Abby Cole of the CBC has the story.
Avhad was working there only one month when he said he received a Singh call.
“Suddenly, on my free day, I received a call from [Singh] To affirm that the employer does not want it anymore and … if you want me to find another job, then you must pay another additional $ 10,000, “he said.
“When these things happened [to] I was like my insomnia nights because it was something that nobody can imagine. “
CBC News contacted Singh for an interview, but in an email, Singh said Avhad filed a complaint with the Ontario Law Society a few months ago and “the documents, all communications, approval and other information related to the cases are before the company waiting for the result.”
In another email, Singh said that Avhad could not discuss due to the privilege of lawyers-client.
CBC News continued with more questions for Singh, but has not answered at the time of publication.
CBC News also contacted the owner of Shenanigans Bar & Grill Luc Viau. In response to an email requesting an interview, Viau said Avhad was fired for misrepresentation.
“He was [supposed] To be an experienced chef but could not notice the difference between white and brown bread, “Viau wrote.
Viau also owned Avhad’s apartment.
After he was finished, Avhad said that Viau “came with four or five people” and says they took their belongings and forced him to leave.
CBC News contacted Viau again, but instead responded with more accusations against Avhad.
“I had not paid the rent and had no intention of paying it,” Viau wrote.
Avhad said he fought to pay the rent because his closed work permit did not allow him to work anywhere else.
But, Viau said, he and a manager went to the apartment to “fulfill his due notification,” and two weeks later he left.
CBC News requested clarifications and once again an interview. Viau did not respond.
Still waiting for a refund
Avhad said he paid Singh with loans from India.
Now with his permission beyond his completion date, Avhad requested an extension for humanitarian reasons. But now she is worried about returning to Mumbai without reimbursement.
CBC News gave details about Avhad’s situation to the immigration lawyer based in St. John, Meghan feels, which is not involved in the case.
Fenth said it is unusual for a lawyer to promise a permanent residence and that a client pays the total amount from the beginning. In general, customers are invoiced by services as they occur, he said.
“Once we submit the application for permanent residence in its name, it is when the majority pays,” said Fient. “It seems that they owe him money.”
Avhad said he never saw any Singh documentation demonstrating progress towards a permanent residence request.
‘Exploited and abused’
According to records and online websites available, Singh occupies high -level positions in multiple entities, including Atlantic Business College, Atlantic Imigration and Atlantic Jobs. While Atlantic Business College and Atlantic Imigration provide legal and professional services to possible immigrants, Atlantic Jobs recruits foreign workers on behalf of their clients.
According to Fient, employers generally recruit foreign workers, or hire a recruitment company. And the foreign worker would communicate with a consultant or lawyer to help with the immigration process.
“When the process is combined in one, that is where you will often see more, I suppose, little ethical practices,” said Fient.
“It is a job that is offered and money is paid for that,” he said. “But they frame it as settlement services. That’s where the red flag is raised.”
Syed Hussan, executive director of the Alliance of Migrant Workers for Change, learned of Avhad’s case after he called his direct migrant support line in search of help.
“The province in Terranova and Ontario needs to work together to obtain this worker the money he deserves,” he said.
“At the same time, the Federal Government must grant a permanent resident status because it was exploited and abused.”
He says that the main problem is that Avhad had to pay money for a job, which is illegal in Ontario, but is not explicitly described in the NL Labor Standards Law.
However, depending on the circumstances, other legislation or policy frameworks can contravene, according to the provincial government spokeswoman, Gayle St. Croix.
“We encourage anyone who can be affected by such practices to directly contact the division of labor standards,” St. Croix wrote in a statement sent by email.
Hussan says that all levels of government must intensify and give migrants as Avhad the power to protect themselves.
“It is a whistle agitator, but instead of obtaining protections it will be deported, potentially.”
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