Immigration fraud refers to misrepresentation on an application to the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). Whether you think you’re a fraud victim or you’re charged with immigration fraud, you should immediately hire a criminal defense lawyer to handle your case.
Types of Immigration Fraud
There are different types of immigration fraud, including but not limited to;
Incorrect or False Information
Providing false information or personal details in an application or an interview with an IRCC representative is considered immigration fraud. This includes misrepresentation in the documents such as educational certifications and degrees, travel documents, passports and visas, police certificates, etc.
Counselling Misrepresentation
Immigration professionals can also commit fraud. According to the Citizenship Act, this type of fraud is called ‘counseling misrepresentation.’
This type of fraud occurs when an immigration professional collects a fee for an application but doesn’t file it, collects extra fees and provides you an approval guarantee, or falsifies someone’s files or documents.
Citizenship and Visa Fraud
This type of fraud happens when a person impersonates themselves as a Canadian citizen and uses their citizenship documents, illegally lives in the country, works for more time than allowed when living on a student visa, or extends their stay in Canada without any permission.
Marriage Fraud
This is when a foreign immigration applicant and a sponsor marry or claim a common-law partnership only to let the sponsored partner or spouse immigrate to the country. This type of marriage is also called the ‘marriage of inconvenience.
How to Report
Suppose you think that you have provided your information or personal details to a fraudster or a scammer who contacted you via email, phone, or internet. In that case, you should immediately report immigration fraud. An immigration lawyer can help you report it and avoid legal complications.
Reporting Immigration Fraud Inside Canada
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can report an immigration fraud;
- Note all the information you have and list all the events in a chronological order
- Inform the agent about the person you suspect and identify as many details about the suspect as possible. This includes their name, date of birth, and address.
- Search and find out if you can file an online report on the matter. Online reporting allows you to make minimum mistakes. When reporting online, you can also provide identifying information. This information will stay confidential unless you give your consent for its release.
- You may also call IRCC and speak to a representative to file a report.
- If you learn something new after filing a report, make sure you contact the same number and provide them with the necessary updates.
Let Us Help
An experienced immigration lawyer can help you file a successful report. At Nanda & Associate Lawyers Professional Corporation, a reliable Canadian immigration law firm, we help our clients make refugee protection claims, spousal sponsorship appeals, or immigration appeals while avoiding fraud. Feel free to contact us for more details. We can also help you file a report to the IRCC about immigration fraud.
Disclaimer: This blog is only educational and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for legal advice.
