Receipts,
not rhetoric.
Parliamentary testimony, press coverage, and published writing. Every item links to the primary source.
Parliamentary
record.
Testimony and briefs before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
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Feb 9, 2026 Read full session →Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration · Meeting 20 · 45th Parliament, 1st SessionTestimony before CIMM on Canada’s Immigration SystemCanada is deporting data scientists who are working in Canada and who studied at our world-class institutions while importing unemployed insurance agents and line cooks from overseas.
Full session transcript. Appeared as a witness alongside Michael Barutciski (York University) and Gauri Sreenivasan (Canadian Council for Refugees) on Express Entry, the Start-Up Visa backlog, and LMIA fraud.
- Feb 9, 2026 Read extracted remarks →openparliament.ca · Extracted remarksPaolasini testimony — Steven’s contributions only
I will say that the reduction in temporary resident numbers has been effective — cutting out the international student fraud and the public-private partnerships with DLIs.
Filtered view of only Steven’s contributions to the Feb 9, 2026 CIMM meeting.
- Feb 6, 2026 Open meeting notice →House of Commons · Notice of MeetingCIMM Meeting 20 — Notice of witnesses and panels
• Steven J. Paolasini, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Amended notice of meeting for the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration’s 20th meeting, listing scheduled witnesses for February 9, 2026.
- Dec 13, 2025 Open brief (PDF) →Parliamentary Brief · Submitted to CIMM · Nino Melikidze and Steven J. PaolasiniRecommendations for Restructuring Express Entry to Support Long-Term Economic Growth
Jointly authored brief to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Argues that Express Entry has drifted from its original purpose and recommends reforms to restore economic, skills-based selection aligned with labour market needs.
Press
coverage.
Selected pieces in which Steven has been sourced or quoted on Canadian immigration policy.
- Dec 19, 2024 Read on CBC →CBC News · Bethany Lindsay, Aloysius Wong, Valérie OuelletFederal government to remove incentive for foreign workers to reduce fraud in immigration system
Regulated immigration consultant Steven Paolasini previously told CBC/IJF that this system “needs an overhaul” and that LMIAs “should have no direct immigration benefit whatsoever.”
Ottawa ends extra Express Entry points for temporary foreign workers in LMIA-supported jobs, responding to fraud exposed by the earlier CBC/IJF investigation.
- Oct 30, 2024 Read on CBC →CBC News Investigates · with the Investigative Journalism Foundation · Valérie Ouellet, Aloysius Wong, Carly Penrose, Apurva BhatOnline ads illegally sell jobs to temporary foreign workers
“People can [have] the same [score] on language, the same on education, the same on Canadian experience. What’s going to set them apart now is that 50 points of arranged employment or potentially 200 for a senior manager LMIA,” Paolasini explained.
Undercover CBC/IJF investigation documenting dozens of online ads illegally selling LMIA-approved jobs to temporary foreign workers for up to $45,000 — even after Ottawa tightened the programme.
- Jul 23, 2024 Read on Financial Post →Financial Post · Naimul Karim“They wanted me to be desperate”: Foreign workers battle fake jobs, exploitation in hunt for citizenship
“Shortsighted policies” have allowed LMIA fraud to become a lucrative business in Canada, immigration consultant Steven Paolasini said. He lists three kinds of LMIA frauds present in the market today.
Primary expert source on the three-part anatomy of LMIA fraud, including the “payroll cycling scheme” — a term Paolasini coined to describe employers cycling cash back through workers to simulate salaried employment while conversion to PR is pending.
- Jul 15, 2024 Read on CBC →CBC News · Calgary · Karina ZapataSome foreign workers paying $30K or more in illegal fees for a job in Alberta
Steven Paolasini, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant at Calgary-based SJP Immigration Inc., says the scam is flourishing because the temporary foreign worker program is poorly structured and relies on trusting the employer.
Alberta immigration lawyers, consultants and agencies warn that a long-standing scam charging temporary foreign workers tens of thousands of dollars for LMIA-approved jobs is becoming more common as the province’s population grows.
Published
writing.
Op-eds and policy writing authored or co-authored by Steven.
- Mar 25, 2026 Read on MLI →Macdonald-Laurier Institute · Nino Melikidze and Steven J. PaolasiniClosed for business: The unravelling of Canada’s Start-Up Visa program
Commentary arguing that Canada’s Start-Up Visa programme stalled under systemic mismanagement and overreliance on private designated organisations, leaving tens of thousands of would-be entrepreneurs in limbo.
- Feb 4, 2026 Read on Substack →Without Diminishment · Nino Melikidze and Steven J. PaolasiniRethinking Express Entry for economic growth
A special report critiquing Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan and Express Entry priorities, and recommending reforms to realign the system with economic growth and stakeholder feedback.
Journalist
or researcher?
For interview requests, background on Canadian immigration policy, or peer practice inquiries, use the contact form. File-specific questions belong on a booked ICA.