Recruiter's firm charges five-figure fees to international workers trying to enter country: report
The Ontario government is investigating an Alberta-based recruiter who has facilitated the placement of temporary foreign workers in low-wage positions at Canadian Tire stores across Canada, according to a report.
Allison Jones operates both a recruitment agency and an immigration consultancy in St. Albert, Alberta, and she helps Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons fill roles with foreign labour, according to The Globe and Mail.
Jones’ Allison Jones Consulting Services Inc. provides recruiting services to companies looking to hire through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Meanwhile, AJ Immigration Group – her other – firm charges five-figure fees to international workers who are trying to enter the country, according to the report.
Currently, one of her recruiting agency’s clients – a Canadian Tire location in Toronto – is also under investigation by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour over allegations of exploiting migrant workers.
Eight foreign workers employed at a Toronto Canadian Tire location told The Globe that they paid AJ Immigration over $10,000 to secure jobs in Canada.
Workers were often required to pay a non-refundable deposit of US$3,000 to AJ Immigration before being matched with an employer, followed by further payments as their applications progressed, email correspondence and affidavits reviewed by The Globe show.
The British Columbia Supreme Court previously ruled that an employer could be held liable for damages incurred by foreign nationals who paid for Canadian jobs.
Meanwhile, The Globe reported that one email sent by recruiter Roy Ann Salcedo to prospective worker Rowell Pailan reads: “Kindly sign the retainer agreement as we are catering to a lot of candidates who are given the opportunity to sign the RA. Let us know so we can add you for invoice because there’s already an employer to where you’ll be assigned to as soon as possible.”
Three former workers claimed they were never asked if they wanted immigration services, alleging they were told to pay the fees if they wanted the job. Two of these workers have since obtained Open Work Permits for Vulnerable Workers, citing the high fees as contributing to their vulnerability.
One government application stated: “We were forced to accept a lot of bad things from our employer because if we are fired, we can never earn that money back,” according to the report.
The Canadian Tire Corporation has distanced itself from the issue, emphasizing its franchise model. In a statement to The Globe, the company said it has no authority over the hiring practices of franchisees. Following a previous investigation, however, Canadian Tire issued a memo urging franchise owners to ensure third-party recruiters comply with TFWP rules.
The Globe found that at least 45 Canadian Tire stores in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta have used Ms. Jones’s services. Federal data shows that 51 stores linked to her agency were approved to hire 635 TFWP workers between 2017 and early 2024, according to the report.
Because parent companies do not have any direct control over their franchisees – in that the parents don’t hire or fire store employees – those parents are cautious about making sure that they don’t overstep boundaries, said Dave Lush, executive director of the Alliance of Canadian Franchisees, said in the report.
However, in an environment in which employers who use the TFWP have come under scrutiny, “some sort of audit process” of franchises should be in place, he said.
Previously, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the conviction of Balkaran Singh, a 45-year-old immigration consultant from Winnipeg, following a CBSA investigation into his immigration-related offences dating back to 2021.
