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Ottawa, March 16, 2010 — Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney extended his thanks today to Vancouver police and British Columbia prosecutors for their work recently in convicting an immigration consultant of fraud.

“Unscrupulous consultants are a significant problem and tackling it requires all levels of government to work together and make it a priority,” said Minister Kenney. “This case sends a message to fraudulent consultants that if they attempt to steal money from people trying to immigrate to this country, they will be caught and they will be punished.”

Minister Kenney reiterated his intention to bring in further measures at the federal level to ensure consultants are more closely monitored and regulated, and that those who commit fraud are punished.

“Preying on people who are desperate to have a new start in Canada, or who are trying to bring their family members here, is unconscionable. As the Speech from the Throne promised, we will be taking steps to address this.”

Earlier this month in Vancouver, after an investigation by the West Vancouver Police Department, consultant Fereydoun Hadad was sentenced in provincial court to one year in prison after pleading guilty in January to defrauding a man seeking to immigrate to Canada from Iran of over $49,000, and for using a document as if it were genuine while knowing that said document was forged. A one year probation term will follow the prison sentence.

Mr. Hadad had convinced the prospective immigrant to set up a bank account in Canada, saying it was needed to immigrate in the investor class. He helped him set up the account and then forged the man’s signature to take the money out of the account.

Original article can be found here

The Quarterly Administrative Data Release provides up-to-date portraits of the immigration process, including both permanent and temporary streams, as well as an overview of the citizenship process.

When using these tables, it is important to remember that:

• All current year data are preliminary estimates. In particular, there is a time lag associated with applications being entered into CIC systems, which may initially result in an underestimation of applications actually received. These numbers will stabilize over time.
• After an authorization/visa is issued, applicants can choose if and when they will enter Canada within a specified period of time up to 12 months. A successful applicant becomes either a temporary resident or a permanent resident upon arrival in Canada.
• An application for citizenship can only be made by a permanent resident after they have lived in Canada for at least three years of residence (1,095 days) in the four years immediately preceding the date that they apply.

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