He pleaded guilty before the Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench
The Court of King’s Bench of Saskatchewan imposed a conditional sentence of two years less a day, a $10,000 fine, and 40 hours of community service on a man who pleaded guilty to counselling misrepresentation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2001 (IRPA).
“This conviction and the investigation that led to it demonstrate the strong collaboration between the Canada Border Services Agency and provincial partners, who are working together to uphold Canada’s immigration laws and bring those that violate them to justice,” said Gary Anandasangaree, federal public safety minister, in a news release from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
In 2018, CBSA criminal investigators in Regina launched an investigation after reports from border services officers across the country alerted them to an uncommonly large number of immigration applications for a non-profit in Saskatoon.
The investigators discovered that Balvir Singh, a Saskatoon resident, was counselling foreign nationals to misrepresent employment information in federal and provincial immigration applications through falsified pay stubs, employment offers, and other supporting documents regarding nonexistent Canadian employment.
The investigators also learned that Singh would charge foreign nationals a maximum of $40,000 for immigration sponsorship.
With the help of Saskatchewan’s Immigrant Nominee Program, the CBSA identified numerous foreign nationals linked with Singh. According to CBSA, these individuals arrived in Canada with misrepresented information. Many commenced working in the delivery, construction, and restaurant industries, or otherwise engaged in unauthorized employment beyond the scope of their permits.
On June 3, 2021, authorities executed search warrants at Singh’s residence and at a Saskatoon-based restaurant, where they seized evidence concerning the charges.
Charges against Balvir Singh
On June 23, 2022, and Mar. 14, 2023, Singh received charges under the IRPA and the Criminal Code, 1985.
Last Apr. 2, before the Saskatoon court, Singh pleaded guilty to a single count of counselling misrepresentation under s. 126 of the IRPA. On July 8, the court imposed his sentence.
“This investigation and conviction is a result of important collaboration between our provincial immigration enforcement team and the Canada Border Services Agency,” said Eric Schmalz, Saskatchewan’s minister of immigration and career training, in CBSA’s news release. “We will continue to work together to stop immigration fraud from occurring in Saskatchewan.”
“By dismantling fraudulent immigration schemes, the CBSA is protecting the integrity of Canada’s borders and safeguarding potential immigrants from exploitation,” added Janalee Bell-Boychuk, CBSA’s regional director general for the Prairie region. “We will continue to investigate, gather evidence and pursue prosecution against those who try to defraud Canada’s immigration system.”
