Close X
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
ADVT 
National

Indo-Canadian man fined $20K for immigration fraud

Darpan News Desk IANS, 25 Oct, 2023 01:08 PM
  • Indo-Canadian man fined $20K for immigration fraud

Toronto, Oct 25 (IANS) An Indian-origin man has been fined $20,000 for his role in a scheme that charged newcomers tens of thousands for permits to work in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Avtar Singh Sohi, 42, pleaded guilty on Monday to misrepresentation under the Canada Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBC News channel reported.

The Provincial Court of Manitoba heard that Avtar provided a woman with pay stubs to show she was working for him as a nanny from March 2019 to July 2021 while she was illegally employed elsewhere.

In addition, he also provided her with a number of signed documents that she used as part of her permanent residency application.

The woman, an Indian national, came to Canada on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is issued after a need for a temporary foreign worker is demonstrated because there is no citizen or permanent resident available to do the job.

"His behaviour erodes the trust of our immigration system and must be denounced and deterred," federal crown attorney Matt Sinclair said.

Sinclair told the court that in September 2019 the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) received information about Avtar's brother Hartar Singh Sohi, an immigration consultant and owner of Abroad Immigration.

In March 2021, CBSA investigators executed search warrants at three properties connected with Abroad Immigration and Education Services -- a Winnipeg company that arranges permanent residency for newcomers in Canada.

Court heard that during the search, the investigators found a work permit issued for an Indian national authorising her to work as a nanny for Avtar and his wife.

After surveilling the woman, the investigators found she was working at another place without authorisation.

During questioning, the woman said that her family paid $40,000 for her LMIA, but when she arrived in Canada, she was told there was no job for her.

"She was told that if she wanted to take pay stubs to show that she'd been working for Avtar Sohi as a nanny, she could use them to support an application for permanent residence, but she'd have to pay for the paystubs," the CBC reported quoting Sinclair.

Marty Minuk, Avtar's lawyer, said his client had nothing to do with whatever agreement the foreign national had with Abroad Immigration.

"Clearly, whatever was set up, was set up to have Mr Avtar Sohi get involved in some matter that he really knew nothing about and now he's suffering consequences of it," Minuk told the court.

CBSA alleged in its January 2022 court filings that Avtar and his wife aided Hartar in the "misrepresentation of information on immigration applications".

Further, the couple used their home construction company to invest the money received by Hartar to purchase and renovate homes, which according to CBSA, was done to hide the origin of the funds.

Between November 2016 and January 2020, the Sohis and their companies deposited C$783,827.45 and $9,600 in their bank accounts, according to the filed documents.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Hartar but it doesn't appear he's been officially charged in the case, the CBC reported, adding that it has been told that he fled to India.

Avtar, a father of two children, has been living in Canada since 2006.

The prosecution had argued for a penalty of $50,000 and/or two years in jail for Avtar.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. man, Mukhtiar Singh Panghali, who killed his pregnant wife in 2006 is granted full parole

B.C. man, Mukhtiar Singh Panghali, who killed his pregnant wife in 2006 is granted full parole
A British Columbia man who killed his pregnant wife and burned her body in 2006 has been granted full parole. Mukhtiar Singh Panghali, who's now 51 years old, was given a life sentence in 2011 for second-degree murder in the death of Manjit Panghali.

B.C. man, Mukhtiar Singh Panghali, who killed his pregnant wife in 2006 is granted full parole

RCMP say 12-year-old killed while biking to school in Pitt Meadows

RCMP say 12-year-old killed while biking to school in Pitt Meadows
Police in Metro Vancouver say a 12-year-old was hit and killed by a recycling truck while biking to school this week. The RCMP say they're investigating the collision that occurred at an intersection in Pitt Meadows, B.C., around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. They say paramedics and Pitt Meadows firefighters tried to save the child's life, but the young victim was pronounced dead at the scene. 

RCMP say 12-year-old killed while biking to school in Pitt Meadows

First atmospheric river of fall deluges parts of B.C. south coast, southern Interior

First atmospheric river of fall deluges parts of B.C. south coast, southern Interior
Rainfall warnings cover most of Vancouver Island, as well as the Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound, Whistler and Metro Vancouver as Environment Canada pinpoints a firehose-like band pumping moisture from the subtropics directly at the B.C. coast. More than 200 millimetres of rain could fall along sections of western Vancouver Island, while 80 to 110 millimetres are forecast across the Howe Sound, Whistler and Sea-to-Sky regions before the storm is expected to ease late in the day.

First atmospheric river of fall deluges parts of B.C. south coast, southern Interior

Trudeau chides Smith for pension exit debate, promises to defend stability of CPP

Trudeau chides Smith for pension exit debate, promises to defend stability of CPP
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau entered the Alberta pension-exit debate Wednesday, saying the federal government will fight any threat to the stability of the Canada Pension Plan. In an open letter to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Trudeau also took her to task for launching the debate in the first place.  

Trudeau chides Smith for pension exit debate, promises to defend stability of CPP

DARPAN Awards 2023 A Night To Cherish

DARPAN Awards 2023 A Night To Cherish
The 2023 DARPAN Extraordinary Achievement Awards was a night of sheer enchantment. The event's red carpet was abuzz with prominent figures from the community, distinguished political leaders, and esteemed socialities. 

DARPAN Awards 2023 A Night To Cherish

Most Canadians think lasting peace between Israel, Palestinians is not possible: poll

Most Canadians think lasting peace between Israel, Palestinians is not possible: poll
A majority of Canadians don't think lasting peace is possible between Israelis and Palestinians, a new poll suggests. Slightly more than half of the people responding to the Leger poll said lasting peace isn't possible, while less than one-fifth said a peaceful solution can be reached.  

Most Canadians think lasting peace between Israel, Palestinians is not possible: poll