Man lies on immigration forms to avoid deportation from Canada

A Russian man has been sentenced to 45 days in jail along with receiving an order for deportation from Canada after forging a signature on a permanent resident application. The jail sentence, according to the Halifax judge, was to show others that lying on immigration forms is a bad idea.

The man’s refugee claim in the 1990s was denied and he has been fighting an order for deportation from Canada ever since, but then married a Canadian woman in 1995. In 1999 they separated, but the man told Citizenship and Immigration Canada he was still married when filing out the forms, which threw up a red flag for immigration officials. Charges were then pressed by the Canada Border Services Agency.

“Truthfulness is essential” when applying to become a permanent resident in Canada

According to a Canada Border Services Agency official, “There’s a process for foreign nationals to become permanent residents of Canada,” he said. “Their truthfulness is essential and an integral part of the process.”

It may not always be the case that “the truth will set you free”. However, when it comes to immigration applications, the message is clear: make sure there is no misrepresentation with respect to your applications. There are better, alternative and legal ways to maximize your chance of getting an approval than lying.

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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.