With over a decade of hands-on experience in the field of immigration, Waheed Jalalzada has established himself as a trusted advocate within the Afghan community, providing critical immigration support both in Canada and abroad. His extensive knowledge and practical expertise in navigating complex immigration policies stem from years of dedicated work as a licensed immigration consultant. Waheed’s commitment to empowering immigrants, particularly Afghans, through free legal consultations and public awareness efforts has made him a valuable resource for thousands seeking to build their lives in Canada. His focus on immigration justice and fraud prevention has further demonstrated his deep understanding of the challenges faced by newcomers.

Waheed Jalalzada, after completing his Bachelor’s degree at Kardan University in Afghanistan, his Master’s degree in Public Administration in the United States, and a second Master’s degree in Immigration and Settlement at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in Canada, is now a PhD student in Policy Studies at the Toronto Metropolitan University. This program enables him to conduct advanced research in immigration and refugee studies and to engage with leading scholars and practitioners in the field, further reinforcing his dedication to advancing the rights and well-being of immigrants and refugees.

Waheed moved to the United States in 2014 after leaving Afghanistan and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Public Administration. In 2015, during his time in the U.S., he began volunteering with Beacon for Adult Literacy, where he supported immigrant adults in improving their English skills and adjusting to life in a new country. In late 2016, he relocated to Canada to pursue personal and professional milestones. In 2017, he became a member of the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO) as an English-Farsi (Dari) translator.

After graduating from the ‘Immigration Consultant’ Program at CDI College in Mississauga in mid 2018, Waheed spent 4 years working with immigration consultants in the Greater Toronto Area to learn immigration in practice. He earned his license to practice immigration in 2021 and established Waheed Immigration Services. Waheed served the community by providing immigration legal support in Canada and abroad. The following is a brief indication of what he has accomplished in the last 6+ years:

• Authored over 300 blog posts in Farsi (Dari) on immigration and everyday life in Canada, available for free at: www.waheedimmigration.ca/da
• Responded to over 5,748 inquiries (Calls, texts, and emails) from Afghans in Canada and abroad, offering detailed free guidance over 79 months. This equates to 229,920 minutes of consultation over 79 months, averaging 1.62 hours per day. (79 months are 3,421,440 minutes; spending an average of 40 minutes on each inquiry, the total time spent equals 229,920 minutes. On an average, over one and half hours a day is spent to provide free legal immigration consultation in the last 79 months).
• Saved the Afghan community approximately $1,580,700 in immigration consultation fees, assuming an average of $275 per consultation ($275 x 5,748 consultations).
• Contributed to immigration fraud prevention efforts with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency by raising awareness of fraudulent advertisements, ghost immigration firms, and human trafficking scams.
• Helped Afghans save close to $1.5 million by providing accurate information on immigration processes, preventing money from going to traffickers and fraudulent firms.
• Supported 15 families pro bono in their immigration process to Canada.

With over a decade of experience in media management in Afghanistan, Waheed has dedicated his career to empowering Afghan journalists and youth, helping them play active roles in decision-making processes both nationally and internationally. He has worked with various organizations including Faanoos Magazine as founder and director; the Media Coordination Group Afghanistan as steering committee member and projects coordinator; Radio Arman; Mashal and Woraz Magazines; Khorshid Film; the European Commission’s delegation to Afghanistan; Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU); Building Markets International; MedAir; the Italian Cooperation; the Afghan Organization for Human Rights and Environmental Protection (AOHREP); Afghanistan National Participation Organization; Social Volunteers Foundation; Afghan Ministry of Public Works; The Afghan Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Afghan Academy and the Society of Afghan Engineers in the United States of America.

During his career in Afghanistan, Waheed served his community in numerous ways, including providing free access to the internet and a library, as well as offering basic and advanced journalism training to over 5,000 young Afghans through Fanoos Magazine. He also led awareness campaigns for more than 1,200 journalists and media workers on the drafted Access to Information Law and the Afghan Journalists Employment Regulation as part of the Media Coordination Group Afghanistan. Additionally, he trained the management staff of over 80 nonprofit organizations on 13 different management topics at Building Markets International. Waheed also managed projects focused on civic education, women’s empowerment, and raising awareness about the presidential election process, benefiting over 500,000 people directly and more than 5 million indirectly.

Waheed is the author of the book “From Dream to Reality: Your Guide to a Better Life in Canada” a comprehensive and practical Farsi-language guide for newcomers, addressing immigration, settlement, and cultural adaptation in Canada. He is currently working on completing his new book in English, a comprehensive and practical guide that supports immigrants and refugees from the very beginning of their journey to Canada through to their arrival and successful settlement, helping them navigate the process with greater knowledge and confidence.

Waheed has also translated several books from English and Urdu to Dari in the fields of journalism, social justice, politics, and child healthcare. His contributions have earned him Kardan University’s “40 Under 40 – The Rising Stars” award, as well as recognition from the United Nations Special Representative in Afghanistan and the Consensus National Youth Political Party for his work in youth empowerment and democracy advocacy.

Updated: August 2025