A senior immigration officer in Toronto has admitted to accepting bribes from newcomers to Canada in exchange for status, according to this article.
The immigration officer, George Gonsalves Barriero, worked in Toronto and since 2005 has been in charge of processing applications for permanent residency in Canada.
Immigrants were offered status in exchange for thousands of dollars.
While the immigrants in this case have been branded “victims” by investigators and won’t be charged, when all is said and done their immigration statuses could be in jeopardy because according to the article they have a “checkered past” and may have not been eligible for status in Canada otherwise. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is currently aware of three victims, but are going through all of the applications handled by the officer incase there are others.
If anyone ever offers you guaranteed status in Canada in exchange for money – run!—Even if the person is an immigration officer in Canada. What they are doing is illegal and even if you get away with it for a while – they will eventually be caught, and the immigration applications they’ve processed will be reviewed with a fine-toothed comb. Eventually, it could put not only your status in Canada but your presence in Canada in jeopardy.
Do it right, do it legal!
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
