Well said amritanand,
This is exactly the reason why we leave the so called 'MOTHERLAND' and migrate to the west. The whole system is a scam out there. unfortuantely some of the very same people who got used to that system came to canada and cribed about self-respect, job descremination, exploitation and so on.

ER

We can never blame Mr. Desai for paying up. I guess after having spent lakhs of Rs to get immigration, and get hell out of there, even I would pay. I happy that he mentioned it in the posting, and now we are aware of this. No one else ever posted such incidence before. Now we have to think how we can bring this to higher ups in India (who can do something positive), may be communication to ministry of external affair, or home ministry and pray for better. Can we do this?
Ranin

Yes, I totally agree. Kudos to Rajand for bringing the issue to light. And I guess I would've paid up to get out of this too.

Any concrete suggestions on what can be done about this? I guess one thing you can do is ask to see the immigration officer's superior there. Or at least ask them to show you documentation that requires you to show the PCC.

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Are you there?

The best way we can bring this to the notice of the senior executives of Indian Governement is to send them the link of Canadian Desi, especially the Consular General at Toronto Consulate and the Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa. They can spend some time reading all interesting topics and articles on this website. It will be a good information gathering site for them too!!!

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Sunil Sharma, P.Eng.

Hi all

It was a bribe asked & given in Dollars. The superior inspector was also sitting besides. The inspector asked me to keep $50 inside the passport & give it to him. If i had negotiated, maybe 10 dollars or so might have been reduced, what's the use?

What else could I do at that late hour otherwise I would have had to miss the flight or maybe create a big scene which might have led to who knows what? Then go all the way back to baroda, gujarat to get the PCC & come back after getting it, getting new flight tickets, incurring a big loss.

Corruption is a major issue in India. Even to get a police clearance certificate, one has to pay bribe. Otherwise it will take weeks. Corruption is the most serious problem plaguing India, what do all of us of at CanadianDesi think? I am sure all of us have indulged in it at some point of time, maybe not taken bribe but definitely given it.

Here in Canada I was able to take out health card in 10 minutes, open a bank a/c in half an hour since I had health card mentioning my address & passport.

Hope getting a job proves easy in Canada.

Thanks & regards.

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Let's make India a better place !

Good luck Rajan on finding a job. I hope everything works out well with you. I agre with the reply posted by Mr. Sharma. We should forward the link to Indian counsulates here. Lets see what happens. I would encourage every one who is a member and who gets immigration in near fture posts their experience here, and ask others who have got to post. That way we will know how bad the situation is.
Ranin

There are honest officers too!!

I was flying out to Dubai in the year 1997 on a Biman flight from Calcutta airport. As many of you know, the UAE visa is not stamped on the holders passport but is sent from UAE as a seperate document. My friend faxed the document to me which I displyed at the airport. The officer flatly refused to acknowledge the faxed document and asked for the original document. He also told me that if I am not able to provide the original, I can't board the aircraft. Just imagine my condition.
Suddenly, a senior officer appeared and wanted to look at the document. After going through it minutely, he asked the junior officer to let me board the aircraft, because he was aware that only on landing in UAE, the traveller can get hold of the original document from the airport counter and present the same to the concerned officer, who then stamps the passport.
The senior officer did not even give any hint for bribe or anything. He just cleared the confusion, did his job and walked away.

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sumjo