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John A. Burke

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The right people who have a vision, who is fair, who have the experience and exposure will do the right job. Mr. Burke is a bully whose understanding of the profession is deficient. He claims to have worked with the Government (NO consultation experience) and after his government employment (An employer he hates according to his statements), he claims to have worked for other private organizations. He does not understand the challenges on a global platform. To cover up his deficiencies, he attacks ordinary members and he is the current chairman of the board of directors of ICCRC. Let us explore the actions of this individual.

The contributor to this piece is Mr. Stephen, a Senior Consultant since 1993, is tied up with his consultation work and will come to this piece shortly. This site is slated for completion in March of 2020.

Anybody has taken money from the Membership pot (in other words, if they are paid for work by ICCRC), have a fundamental obligation to follow fair practices and MUST refrain from Lying, Deception and Corruption. Anybody who indulges in such activities must be exposed with evidence!

Immigrants do not get responses from the ICCRC board or executive. They are treated as dumb human beings that does not deserve the time of the day for a response. These individuals are so racist that they cannot bear a question from an immigrant if it exposes their weakness. Mr Burke created a uncontrollable episode when Mr Stephen asked him why he has not done much about fake consultants. This letter was sent by Mr Stephen to Mr Burke soon after the Mississauga Town Hall conducted by ICCRC.

Open Letter to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICCRC John A Burke

Dear Mr Burke,

Ref: Town Hall meeting in Mississauga on 15th August at 6pm

If you recall, I asked spoke at the Town Hall as an invitee and you were belligerent and aggressive towards me when I said there are 1000’s of things which can be done regarding fake consultants overseas. Your unacceptable attitude suggests this phrase: “Ignorance is Bliss”. Hon. Chair of the Board of Directors, I will try to explain why you are so wrong. I have not done any harm to this profession. I am only pointing out incidents which I extrapolate through evidence. Unfortunately, the current election process is unfair and non-participatory, and this profession is moving backwards, and the data proves that.

I am a member with over 27 years of Experience (less than yours), I am a CEO of a Canadian Corporation and I represent over 900 clients at any given time & I run multiple offices at multiple locations in Canada and overseas. I am agent free. To verbally attack me in Public (your townhall) just because you do not understand 1000’s of ways to approach Fake Consultants is petty and high handed. Very typical of what we see in ICCRC. Let me explain with 2 examples so that you can get some direction on what I mean. Unfortunately, most people associated with ICCRC like you do not own overseas operations nor approach Immigration services on a global scale (without agents). You and those associated with ICCRC are so pent up on retaining positions and members of your Board are corrupt to the core. I cannot imagine an ICCRC director demanding over $3000 on fictious grounds just because she was elected a Director! You can read it on www.ohcanada.me

  1. Several years back, on my quarterly tours, I had a travel base in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) with a day stop over in Jakarta (Indonesia) for a seminar. On my first trip to Jakarta, everything went well. I typically fly -in in the morning and leave in the afternoon after a seminar. My second visit to Jakarta, a FAKE consultant in the city filed a police complaint with the local police there expressing concern that a “Foreign National” is coming to the city to cheat Indonesians of their money by offering visas. The Police swooped in on the seminar and once the seminar was done, approached me to demand answers. I answered my purpose and the nature of my visit. The Police contacted the local Canadian foreign office which came to my aid immediately. I missed my return flight and was forced to spend that night in Jakarta. A young police officer in Jakarta (Currently deployed to the UN) became a friend and we spent a lot of time discussing why it is Important for countries like Australia and Canada to set up a communications pathway so that things like what happened that day does not happen. We also discussed FAKE CONSULTING in Indonesia. He shared a lot of points, approaches and he had one clear message: “If you have a communication system, and there are regulatory documents shared, it is becoming of the department, whether Police or Political to use the material to help with crime against their citizens as long as the documents come from the right foreign departments like the Foreign office or even the Immigration department. 
  2. 8 Years back, I wanted to make an impact in India and worked with the Protector of Immigrants office in New Delhi. This department was responsible for issuing licences to businesses who deal with Overseas Temporary Work Opportunities. It was difficult to gain inroads and after my 3rd visit to New Delhi, things looked very bleak. Traversing the red tape of a Government Office in India seemed a challenge, but perseverance pays. After my 6th visit, things turned around. The office was adamant that they don’t care about Permanent Residence applications to other countries because that is the choice of their citizens to become citizens of another country, however, when I explained to them that victims of fake consulting are Indian citizens and they become victims because they cannot go anywhere else, things changed. To my surprise, the final meeting I had with that office was one which I can never forget, they hosted me, and another highly skilled Canadian Immigration consultant along with  a member of my staff with a welcoming coffee and food, and the meeting was with all the department head’s of that office. The chief asked us to obtain a letter clearly explaining the representation process and what is considered FAKE CONSULTING. I approached the ICCRC board at that time and they were not keen. A golden opportunity missed! However, during the process of making some meaningful influence with that department, I learned of several ways to approach dealing with Government of developing countries.

Each one of us have different experiences and these experiences allow us to understand the process and allow changes to happen if we work on something. I am not saying I am a rocket scientist or process exemplary brains, however, being a Canadian Corporation with Overseas branches (Agent Free), we are exposed to the elements more severely than most. We receive death threats, we are attacked by FAKE CONSULTANTS and unfortunately, all these experience and exposure is put to waste because we cannot participate in elections and contribute to this profession.

I would urge you to be more mindful and respectful to members when you conduct meetings. Ordinary members like myself come there sacrificing our valuable time, where as your participation is possibly paid for by the current regulator. It is easy for anyone to attack and belittle someone else, but a good leader often is humble and is open to listening and debating. I could have easily belittled you in front of everyone at the town hall, however, I don’t want to stoop to your level of insults and attacks.

After nearly 8 years of ICCRC operations, the town hall proves the failure of ICCRC as a regulator for the following reasons:

  1. You acknowledged that mistakes were made, and you are not perfect. How can you not make mistakes when the regulator is entirely based on cronyism? Why do you stop people with experience and global exposure to participate in the process?
  2. You state that you are “NEW” even after nearly 8 years in existence. You compared this regulation to the law society even though the law society is a Provincial body. Can you confirm if the law society was so petty and the platform limited people from participating in their own election process and their directors were possibly corrupt like the ones in ICCRC who demand $4000 from ordinary members like me when they get elected?
  3. You said that the association (CAPIC) and the Regulator (ICCRC) works together. That is a conflict. That is not right. I think it is best for the profession that ICCRC and CAPIC join forces to become one of the “Association” so that the Government can effectively regulate the profession. Currently we do NOT have a regulator NOR do we have an Association. We only have someone or everyone taking money for the profession going backwards!
  4. You said that you worked for the Government earlier and that Government is BAAAAAAD. Then why did you work for them? Why are you the chairman of the board trying to negotiate during this critical period when you openly dislike the Government with whom you are negotiating? Is it not a conflict?
  5. During the town hall, one of your crony’s claimed that Politicians are bad, and they only are active during election times. Is this how you and your cronies intend to run this regulation? Through division? Through ridicule and insults?
  6. Every year the representation rates kept sliding down and when discussed you cronies claimed that “Colleagues” are working hard. Why are you not addressing this? What “Hard Work” are you doing?
  7. ICCRC always records all events, however, you announced that the Mississauga town hall is not being recorded. Why so? What are you hiding? Most of those who attended seemed to be your crony’s anyways. Why are members attacked when they are there to express what they know? I left because of your ruthlessness and your crony’s interruption.
  8. During the townhall, one of your cronies openly implied that Mr Watto is linked to the former CSIC. I am not sure why CSIC is a major issue these days and what is wrong with such previous association. Representation rates was OK during their time Sir and If you were an immigration consultant, you will know that. You had issue when I said that there are 1000’s of ways to contain fake consulting overseas (which is factual because I know it), however, you did not seem to have any problem with one of your crony saying that Mr Watto is linked to former CSIC. If it is factual, you have an obligation to provide some evidence because you cannot allow someone in an ICCRC meeting funded by members like me to discredit another member so openly. You may disagree with members, but you are the chairman of the board of a regulator approved by the Canadian Parliament and being one sided is not acceptable. Spreading falsehood is not acceptable. I do not know Mr Watto yet but if he supports a Regulation by the Canadian government, it only shows he has noting to profit from what he is doing. He may be frustrated with what is going on, the insults, bully and the daylight robbery of this profession.
  9. Every single year ICCRC was regulating, there was a reduction in representation rates & public confidence was low! What is your response to this?
  10. Your meeting (Mississauga town hall) had very few participants, mostly from the “Association” to disrupt anyone who speaks facts. I was disrupted so many times during my talk and I left because I just thought there was no point. This is not right; My money used to promote a certain group and is this self-regulation?

I am respectful of your experience and your contribution; however, your experience does not match those of mine or other Immigration Practitioners like me who is hurting badly because the Profession is going backwards. You want to attribute your government experience (even though you hate the government) towards professional experience for Immigration consulting. A true consultant does not attack another consultant because the challenges to this profession is so dire, except if the consultant who attacks have a profit motive other than consulting and representing clients.

EX-Government Employees and ICCRC: EX-Government Employees have little or NO understanding about this profession when they are out of Government Employment. However, many of them occupy key positions with this regulator without coming up the ladder by investing in this profession, learning about it, and then rendering their leadership services based on their practical understanding of the profession (I thought that was self-regulation). You need to understand that this is livelihood of people, and ICCRC is decimating it.  I know many past Canadian government employees going through the stages, having their own offices, opening boutique consulting practices in Canada and/or overseas. Hats off to them. I have also seen many who just barge into the Regulator’s Board and occupy key position without understanding the profession. And unfortunately, they are the ones who will attack the Canadian government the most, belittling the Canadian Government and the honorable staff who work with the Government. They claim that their experience allows them to state that the Government of Canada is BAD! Don’t you realize that Canada is the ONLY country whose government has allowed self-regulation? Don’t you realize that if the Canadian Government wants, they can remove self-regulation? Why do you insult people who has given you and us an opportunity?

You boldly claimed in the ICCRC town hall that you had previously worked with the Government and therefore you know that the Government is BAAAAD. If that is the case, why are you considering your experience with the Government as a positive for your leadership role with this regulator? So many questions Sir, and I wish you answer them! I am an ordinary member after all, and a dumb immigrant.

  1. Your overly attack mode when I said that ICCRC has not explored 1000’s of possibilities in dealing with fakes. It is possible that you travel to several countries every year and you have established contacts with law enforcement of various countries, and you have tried out several methods to deal with fakes and they have all Failed. You are therefore perturbed and angry when I mentioned about the 1000’s of ways to deal with fakes. OR
  2. It is also possible that you have NO dealings with law enforcements of foreign countries and your attack towards me in an open town hall is based on the trademark behaviour of a Director of ICCRC and their cronies to silence anyone who has questions and anyone who brings out the true data on this regulation. You seem to attack everyone, including the government.

If the former is true, please schedule a meeting with me with the ICCRC CEO and we can discuss what you guys have missed out. However, if the latter is true, it just shows cowardice and corruption in ICCRC and how this regulator has destroyed this profession.

Thank you for your patient reading. I cannot expect a response from you but if you do, allow me to rebut your response. The current ICCRC operations is akin to what is happening south of the border with racism, hyperbole, lies and deceitful conduct. Probably it is expected of the times we are in.

Mr Stephen

Immigration Practitioner