A total of 7,528 study permit applications from India were rejected by Canadian authorities between January 2018 and May 2023 over misrepresentation, involving false or altered documents, according to data from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Of these, 595 applications, including extensions, were refused by May 31 this year, with 195 cases of misrepresentation detected in a single month. Misrepresentation can result in an applicant being deemed inadmissible to Canada for five years or permanently removed from the country. The applicant would then be ineligible for permanent residency and have a permanent record of fraud in their immigration file.
A spokesperson from the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi highlighted that the government takes citizenship and immigration fraud seriously, and that training is provided to IRCC employees to help detect and combat fraud in order to protect the integrity of Canada’s citizenship and immigration system. Most of the rejected applications were refused under A40(1)(a), which defines misrepresentation in Canadian immigration law. Examples of misrepresentation can range from failing to mention a family member or change in family status to providing a false document declaring employment experience.
Recently, hundreds of Indian students faced deportation from Canada after their letters of acceptance submitted as part of their study permit applications were found to be fraudulent. In response, Canada’s Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, announced that genuine students would be issued Temporary Resident Permits. Fraser emphasized that the focus is on identifying those responsible for the fraudulent activity rather than penalizing those who may have unknowingly been affected.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Citizenship Act of Canada require that only authorized individuals provide paid immigration or citizenship advice or representation. Anyone other than a member in good standing of a Canadian law society, the Chambre des notaires du Québec, or the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants is prohibited from representing or advising for a fee at any stage of an application or proceeding.
India was the top source of new international students entering Canada in 2022, with 226,450 students, according to IRCC data. Additionally, Indian citizens accounted for 35% of study permit holders in Canada. The country is particularly popular among students from Punjab, which is home to the largest Punjabi diaspora in the world. Canadian study visas offer these students a path to permanent residence within five to six years.
