Canada authorities charge Indian man for immigration fraud targeting students

Canadian authorities on Friday (Jun 24) charged an Indian man for issuing fraudulent university letters of acceptance to Indian students and other immigration-related criminal offences.

Canadian authorities on Friday (Jun 24) charged an Indian man for issuing fraudulent university letters of acceptance to Indian students and other immigration-related criminal offences.

Brijesh Mishra, a citizen of India, is facing five charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said in a statement.

CBSA said it had launched an investigation after receiving information about Mishra's status in Canada and his alleged involvement in activities related to "counselling misrepresentation".

Canada is a popular destination for international students since it is relatively easy to obtain a work permit. Official data show there were more than 800,000 foreign students with active visas in Canada in 2022, including some 320,000 from India.

Earlier this year, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that several students from India had been served deportation papers for using forged documents to enter Canada in an alleged immigration scheme.