Canadian authorities have filed charges against Brijesh Mishra, an Indian citizen, for his alleged involvement in issuing fraudulent university acceptance letters to Indian students and committing other immigration-related criminal offenses. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced that Mishra is facing five charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The investigation into Mishra's activities was initiated by the CBSA after receiving information about his status in Canada and his alleged participation in activities related to "counseling misrepresentation." The charges reflect the seriousness of the alleged offences and their impact on the integrity of Canada's immigration system.

Canada is a preferred destination for international students due to the relatively easy process of obtaining work permits. Official data indicates that in 2022, there were over 800,000 foreign students with active visas in Canada, with approximately 320,000 of them originating from India.

Advocates representing the affected students issued a press release stating that some individuals who now face deportation orders had initially arrived in Canada in 2017 and 2018 on student permits. The case highlights the significance of upholding the integrity of the international student admissions process and addressing any instances of fraud or misrepresentation.

Advocates representing numerous students who faced deportation due to fraudulent letters have revealed new details. In a press release, they explained that the students were provided with "fake college admission letters" by their immigration consultants, specifically naming Brijesh Mishra, a consultant based in Jalandhar. These letters were presented to Canadian authorities when the students arrived in Canada between 2017 and 2018 on student permits.

Upon arrival, the consultants informed the students that they could not enrol in the specified colleges for various reasons, such as deferral or lack of available seats. Consequently, the students were advised to switch colleges, which they did to commence their studies.

Unbeknownst to the students, who have completed their studies, entered the workforce, started families, and applied for permanent residency (PR) over the past five to six years, the offer letters they received were fake. Only during the PR application process did they become aware of the fraudulent nature of these letters.

Source: Globalnews