Case Study: Airline agents who go rogue: What to do if it happens to you

Air Canada Agent who takes on the role of a CBSA officer

We have been representing a family whose troubling case has been featured in the media. This family has been torn apart because in transit to Canada, an Air Canada agent thought that it would be a good idea to “red flag” the family and convince CBSA to cancel their visas.

Here is the story on

City TV

Although this situation is very rare, it could happen to anyone who is travelling to Canada as a foreign national. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some steps that you can take to protect yourself and your family:

1. Ask to speak with the agent’s supervisor or manager. Air Canada agents are not authorized to assess your entry into Canada. If you already have your visa, ETA or other required authorizations issued by the government of Canada they cannot deny you entry to Canada. Their managers should know this and stop this kind of behaviour.

2. Ask and write down the names of the agents and any immigration officials that they claim to have spoken to. It will become very important in the future if you need to investigate into the situation.

3. Speak to an immigration lawyer while you are there to have them speak with the officers to resolve the situation.

4. Document everything. Write down what was said or better yet, videotape it.

For more information on how to deal with a situation that you or someone you know have encountered at the border, contact us at (416) 548-9101 or at  inquiries@www.lmlawgroup.com .