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CBC NEWS: Indian died at border re fake documents

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One year ago, an Indian family died at the border, trying to cross from Canada into the USA. This family had come to Canada on a Study Permit, after using an agent in India. Over the past year, law enforcement in Canada, the USA and India have been investigating this tragic event that led to the death of 2 adults and 2 children. They have discovered the Study Permit was obtained by submitting fake documents to the Canadian Visa Office in India.

CBC News has reported many details on these preventable deaths. As reported by CBC News:

The man’s plan to cross into the U.S. illegally was set in motion a year earlier, when someone who frequented his father’s shop in India offered to help send his son to a foreign country, according to the police report, which was filed following a preliminary investigation.

The man’s father told police he agreed to pay that person 6.5 million Indian rupees — over $106,000 Cdn at current exchange rates — in return for getting his son a Canadian study permit and helping him get into the U.S., the report says.

Alastair Clarke was interviewed as part of the investigation and he provided insight on these issues. Clarke Immigration Law has assisted many people navigate the immigration system with similar circumstance.

As noted in the article, if an application for a Study Permit includes fraudulent or fake documents that were included as supporting documents, the Applicant is 100% liable/ responsible, in almost every case. This is a serious problem, and unfortunately, it is quite common in many jurisdictions. The Government of Canada issued a blanket warning in 2019, for example, based on the serious nature of this problem.

At CIL, we have dealt with many cases where the Applicant’s shady agent submitted fake documents, without their knowledge. This can lead to the Applicant, as well as all the Applicant’s family members, being inadmissible to Canada per A40 (misrepresentation). As stated by IRPA:

Misrepresentation

  • 40 (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible for misrepresentation

    • (a) for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of this Act;

    • […]

The key language above is “directly or indirectly”. The “indirectly” part of the section refers to all documents that were submitted by an agent, by a family member, by a lawyer, by any other type of representative or by any volunteer. A40 is extremely broad, by definition and when Parliament drafted the language of this section, they intended A40 to capture any and all types of behaviour that may be fraudulent.

CIL successful represented an Applicant who faced A40 misrepresentation. Our legal arguments were accepted by Federal Court Justice Ahmed, based on the facts of that case:

[14]  The Applicant [CLARKE IMMIGRATION LAW] points out that section 40 of the IRPA does not apply to misrepresentations made honestly by an applicant who reasonably believes they did not withhold material information (Medel v Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1990] 2 FC 345, Baro v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2007 FC 1299 at para 15, and Goudarzi v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 425 at para 33). The Applicant submits that his response to the procedural fairness letter provided evidence that this exception applies to his alleged misrepresentation; he explained that the knowledge of the potential fraud was beyond his control and in his view he reasonably and honestly believed that he was not misrepresenting any material facts. Despite his response to the procedural fairness letter, the Applicant submits the Manager failed to consider whether any alleged misrepresentation was honestly and reasonably made.

The Court accepted that our client was not inadmissible even though his agent submitted fake IELTS results.

This is a very serious issue and there are many applicants who are victims of shady agents/ consultants. Please contact our office if you a facing this type of situation.

Jail for Immigration Lawyer

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On one hand, immigration lawyers must provide zealous representation. On the other hand, everyone must follow the law. Former immigration lawyer Balrah Singh Bhatti did not understand the second part. He has been charged and convicted of 17 criminal offences, including forgery. He has been suspended by the Law Society and, I expect, he will be disbarred.

In his decision, B.C. Provincial Court Judge Mark Jetté described the criminal acts committed by Mr Bhatti:

Counts 1 to 3 and 5 through 10 charge the Criminal Code forgery and uttering offences in ss. 366(1)(b) and 368(1)(b) respectively.  These offences were committed when Mr. Bhatti forged notes from his family physician at the time, asserting either that he or his client was not well and was unable to attend for a scheduled hearing before the IRB.  Mr. Bhatti then submitted these forged notes to the IRB in support of applications to adjourn a number of hearings which had been set down for several of his clients.

Clearly, the acts committed by Mr Bhatti are wrong and illegal. As an Officer of the Court, lawyers have a duty and responsibility to act in the best interests of the legal system as a whole while, at the same time, acting in the best interests of the client.

The Rules of Professional Conduct, set out the Law Society of Manitoba set out:

2.1-1 A lawyer has a duty to carry on the practice of law and discharge all responsibilities to clients, tribunals, the public and other members of the profession honourably and with integrity.

The above is described further:

Public confidence in the administration of justice and in the legal profession may be eroded by a lawyer’s irresponsible conduct. Accordingly, a lawyer’s conduct should reflect favourably on the legal profession, inspire the confidence, respect and trust of clients and of the community, and avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Indeed, this type of case puts the whole system in question and undermines public confidence in the legal profession.

The Public Interest test

In this case, the judge considered the joint submissions to the Court and opted to follow the SCC precedent regarding the “public interest” test:

In Anthony-Cook, the Supreme Court of Canada considered and rejected a “fitness test” for joint submissions; the court came down in favour of a “public interest” test.  The public interest test requires that trial judges “should not depart from a joint submission unless the proposed sentence would bring the administration into disrepute, or is otherwise not in the public interest.”  A joint submission will bring the administration of justice into disrepute or be contrary to the public interest if, despite the public interest considerations that support imposing it, it is so “markedly out of line with the expectations of reasonable persons aware of the circumstances of the case that they would view it as a break down in the proper functioning of the criminal justice system.”  The court concluded that the public interest test, as distinct from the fitness test, “helps to keep trial judges focused on the unique considerations that apply when assessing the acceptability of a joint submission”, including the importance of promoting certainty in resolution discussions.

Sentencing by the Criminal Court

As reported by CBC News:

In mid-June 2021, Dahak entered guilty pleas and received a conditional sentence of two years less a day with conditions that included house arrest for the first eight months, a curfew for the next eight months and 100 community work hours. He was also fined $14,000.

As a practitioner, this news is deeply troubling. I have never met Mr Bhatti nor any members of his family or his business. From the documents, it appears that he was motivated to try to help his clients; however, he was completely misguided. He committed numerous criminal acts during the course of his practice and it does not appear as though he did so for personal gain. In the end, he will suffer for his crimes. His family will suffer and his former clients will suffer.

Regarding his former clients:

The CBSA said in 2020 that most of the claimants from Bhatti and Dahak’s offences were found not to be refugees and were removed from Canada.

Therefore, it seems that, despite the fraudulent documents, he did not even help those people.

 

Success: Deferral Request

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One of our key services is to stop or delay removals from Canada. Receiving a removal order (departure order/ exclusion order/ deportation order) may be extremely stressful for the individual and their family. Over the past +15 years, we have been helping individuals deal with this situation to help explain the situation to the CBSA Officer and, if necessary, to advocate on behalf of our clients at Federal Court. Recently, we were successful with a Deferral Request and our client’s removal order was canceled.Deferral Request

In this case, our client is well established in Winnipeg. He has the support of his family and he has Canadian children. CBSA has been trying to remove him from Canada, pursuant to section 48 of IRPA:

 

Enforcement of Removal Orders

Enforceable removal order

  • 48 (1) A removal order is enforceable if it has come into force and is not stayed.

  • Effect

    (2) If a removal order is enforceable, the foreign national against whom it was made must leave Canada immediately and the order must be enforced as soon as possible.

On behalf of our client, we produced a package of +190 pages of supporting documents, legal submissions and objective evidence to the CBSA Officer. To be frank, this was a difficult case and, at the beginning, I advised the client that we had a low chance at a successful result. Throughout the process, however, we were able to put together a very strong package and I am extremely proud of the work done by the team.

As you know from the title of this post, our Deferral Request was granted by CBSA and our client’s removal date has been canceled. To be clear, the Officer did not cancel the removal order itself. It continues to be enforceable and we will likely be dealing with CBSA on behalf of this client again in the future.

For now, our client has been granted permission to stay in Canada with his family and he is not at risk of being removed.

We love helping our clients and working to keep families together.

    CBC The National: Extradition

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    Alastair Clarke was recently interviewed by CBC News regarding the potential criminal charges against Peter Nygard. At this point, Mr. Nygard’s son has concerns that his father may leave Canada to escape justice which would force the Government of Canada to make an extradition request. Extradition is a complex area of law; however, based on his studies in International Law at Queen’s Law (Bader International Study Centre @ Herstmonceux Castle) and his professional experience dealing with the intersection of Criminal Law, Immigration Law & extradition law, Alastair was able to provide insight on the potential legal issues.

    Please note: this case has been unfolding quickly and the information is only current as of today, 18 SEPT 2020. As noted by CBC Reporter Caroline Barghout, based on an exclusive interview with Peter Nygard’s son:

    The son says he’s speaking out now because he’s afraid if he stays quiet, his father’s accusers — including his two brothers — may never get justice.

    “My No. 1 goal is for him not to escape,” he said.

    He says Nygard spends summers in Falcon Lake in southeastern Manitoba, and would normally head to one of his properties in California or the Bahamas by the third week of September. But with his father under a cloud of sex allegations, the son thinks his father will instead set his sights on a jurisdiction that won’t extradite him if charges are ever authorized.

    “He believes that he’s above the law — the law does not apply to him,” said the son, adding he bases that on his father’s past actions.extradition

    This point leads directly to the possibility of an extradition request made by the Canadian government, if criminal charges are laid and the accused flees the country.

    Winnipeg immigration lawyer Alastair Clarke says unfortunately, the more money a person has, the easier it can be to evade the law.

    “It’s entirely possible that in this case … Mr. Nygard may find a country who is sympathetic to his, let’s say, his net worth, to his financial capacity,” said Clarke.

    “And so he could find possibly a safe haven, which would be, in my view, quite unfortunate.”

    He says if a country doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Canada, there may not be anything the government can do to get a person back, even if charges are laid.

    Canada doesn’t track, or keep a record of, people who leave the country, he said. Only entries are monitored.

    “If we had the resources in place, that would, in my view, uphold the Canadian rule of law and make sure that alleged criminals are not simply using their private chartered jets, for example — flying to places where we don’t have extradition treaties and escaping the law,” said Clarke. 

    Indeed, extradition can be very messy as we have seen in both the Meng Wanzhou case and the Carlos Ghosn case. These are both ongoing legal matters that involve Canada, the United States, China, Japan, Lebanon and France. A friend of Alastair Clarke, lawyer Richard Kurland has spoken on the complexity of these cases, as reported by CBC News:

    The fight may be over the technicalities of legal privilege — the right to shield sensitive communications and documentation — but observers of the case say the outcome could prove crucial in Meng’s battle against extradition to the United States.

    “This disclosure of who said what to who is critical,” said Richard Kurland, a Vancouver immigration lawyer who has followed the proceedings closely.

    “The line here is how much information ought to be revealed in order for the defence to know the case they have to meet and mount their defence, counterbalanced against the right of the state to conduct clandestine service. That’s quite a difficult balance in a case like this.”

    For more information, please watch CBC The National on youtube. This story starts at 22:40 of the episode.

    Currently, Peter Nygard is in Manitoba and there are no criminal charges. The above is purely speculation. This is an ongoing matter and, as with the other cases above, we will be following this case closely to see if extradition becomes a necessary recourse.

    Success: Crim Rehab

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    After years of work, including multiple Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs), we successfully applied for Criminal Rehabilitation (Crim Rehab) for our client who had multiple criminal convictions in his past. These applications are never easy and the Officer at the border has significant discretionary decision making power at the POE. We did not want to have to wait for this client to be eligible for “deemed rehabilitation” as he has strong connections to Canada. Alastair is an expert in crimimmigration – the intersection between criminal justice and immigration.

    Justice is at the core of our legal system and criminality may have a strong impact on immigration. This means that individuals who are convicted and have served their sentences may not be inadmissible to Canada and they may be allowed to enter if they are successful with a “rehabilitation” application according to immigration laws and regulations. In this case, we were retained by a foreign national with five (5) criminal convictions from different incidents in his past. These convictions, and a series of other events, led to a separation of family and hardship; however, after a boatload of work and strong supporting documentation,Crim Rehab we were successful with our Criminal Rehabilitation application (Crim rehab), submitted at the Canadian Port of Entry. We were able to review the application with a Superintendent prior to our client traveling to the border for a non-binding preliminary assessment. Our client got a positive decision from the Officer after only 4 hours.

    In many cases, past criminal convictions are the result of bad decisions made in youth that were affected by alcohol and/or peer pressure. The Supreme Court of Canada has considered similar situations and they have provided instructions to Officers on how to make these decisions. This case was one of those cases. Our client was completely upfront about exactly what happened and how it affected his life. He demonstrated significant changes in his behaviour and he showed genuine remorse.

    Our client was thoroughly prepared by our office. As with all our cases, be prepared, be prepared, be prepared! We spent hours on this application, gave him a mock interview and prepared a strong package of evidence. At the border, he passed multiple interviews and the Officers went through our package very carefully.

    In the end, our client’s application was granted and he no longer needs to worry about inadmissibility to Canada. He is now with his family members in Canada, subject to the Quarantine Act and he is taking COVID-19 seriously. It has been a pleasure to work with this family and it has been very emotional. For our office, it is very important that we build a perfect application and make sure 100% of the potential issues are covered. I will say that the Officer even said to our client that our application was the best Criminal Rehabilitation application he had reviewed. Thank you Officer! Good decision!

     

    WFP: Audit of Deportation Orders

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    The widely reported report by the Canadian Auditor General describes the significant backlog and delays in the removal process for individuals who have enforceable removal orders, including deportation orders. These removals are carried out by CBSA Officers and we have many clients who are affected by these orders. We are in contact, almost daily, with CBSA Officers on behalf of our clients to ensure our clients fully cooperate with law enforcement and Canadian regulations. At the same time, we advise our clients on their legal rights.Deportation

    The report focuses on failed refugee claimants who have deportation orders. Let me make a brief comment on this group. It is important to note that even when the refugee claimant’s risk may not rise to the level of risk per sections 96 or 97 of IRPA, they may still face significant risk or hardship and/or persecution. The fact is that the legal bar to refugee status is a high legal test and claimants must go through a rigorous adjudicative process, including examination and cross-examination of testimony. Another key fact is there is a shortage of competent legal counsel and claimants may be poorly prepared for their hearing.

    Winnipeg Free Press reporter Eva Wasney published an article on the Auditor General’s report that discussed the challenges faced by CBSA:

    Winnipeg immigration lawyer Alastair Clarke said some of the criticisms in the report are valid, but the audit is a an “oversimplification” of the removal process because it doesn’t include specific case examples.

    “My concern is that the public reads this report, they don’t understand the details, the individuals who are behind these numbers, and this type of report causes undue or exaggerated anxiety in the public,” Clarke said. “The individuals who are under enforceable removal orders in the serious criminality category are generally only a small fraction of individuals in that entire pool.”

    Of the more than 34,000 cases in the agency’s wanted inventory, 2,800 were criminal.

    Indeed, to a certain extent, this report provides a limited perspective on the current state of removals and it fails to provide a nuanced approach to a complex procedure. I have spoken many times on this topic. Canadian laws require CBSA Officers to adhere to procedural fairness and, in our experience, CBSA Officers in Manitoba are vigilant in following Canadian laws and regulations.

    In addition, I strongly agree with my friend and advocate Dr. Lori Wilkinson who has been doing significant research at the University of Manitoba’s Immigration Research West group:

    While Wilkinson said she is glad to see the immigration removal audit, she is worried that the report could have a negative impact on people who are in Canada legally.

    “There could be backlashes against immigrants,” she said. “Lots of people make the leap that if the deportation system isn’t working, then the immigration system must not be working.”

    This is absolutely correct. In my view, IRCC Officers and CBSA Officers are working hard to ensure integrity in the system and they take deportation orders seriously.

    On the flip side, let us be reminded of deportations that have been rushed and have led to disastrous results. One example that comes to mind is the case of Lucia Vega Jimenez from 2014. She was a failed refugee claimant from Mexico with an enforceable removal order as described in the Auditor General’s report. While she was on the verge of being deported, she took her own life in Vancouver. Advocates point to the serious risks to her life. On its face, I believe anyone can understand that if she was so afraid to go back to Mexico she would take her own life to prevent deportation, she had genuine fear.

    In my view, it is important to consider the people behind these numbers. Every case is different, and I can tell you from many years of experience, immigration is messy. As correctly noted by the report, CBSA Officers focus their resources on serious criminals and ensuring the safety of the Canadian public. This is exactly how the system is designed to work.

    Success: TRP/WP for MPNP

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    After significant time and work, we successfully obtained a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) and a Work Permit (WP) from Emerson POE for a client who has an MPNP Nomination Certificate and a PR application in process. This was a messy situation. Her previous representative mishandled her case. She came to us after IRCC refused her Work Permit application and she was outside the 90 day Restoration period. The TRP was issued after significant advocacy at the POE and it was evident that she was the victim. TRP

    We are thrilled the Officer agreed with our assessment of this situation and he used his highly discretionary power to issue the TRP and the Work Permit so that our client could get back to work while she waits for her PR to be processed.

    Here in Manitoba, we are very fortunate to work with the Officers at Emerson POE. Generally, they are professional, courteous and they are sympathetic to clients’ circumstances. That said, they also must follow Canadian immigration laws and regulations. As we have stated at numerous free presentations to the public, we do not encourage clients to put themselves in a position where they need a TRP to stay in Canada. This application is only for exceptional circumstances.

    Please note that the successful TRP application above was obtained prior to the travel restrictions per COVID19. Currently, POEs are closed for such matters and the Officers are further restricted from handling these applications.

    We wish our client all the best and we are pleased that we could fix the mess. She can now stay in Canada and continue to work while she waits for her Permanent Resident status with the support of the MPNP program. The TRP application was her best option based on the facts of this case and she was the victim of her previous representative. Alas, the immigration system is complex and many representatives give bad advice.

    COVID19 – UPDATE 7/APR/2020

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    UPDATE: 7/APRIL/2020

    Please note that we will not be providing additional updates to this page. There have been many changes to laws, regulations and policies due to COVID19. We have been in contact with lawyers from across Canada to stay up to date with changes and amendments.

    If you have any specific questions on how the changes may impact your application or your situation, please book a consultation with a lawyer.

    UPDATE: 24/MARCH/2020

    OK – to mitigate the spread of COVID19, the Ontario government declared that all non-essential services must close starting tomorrow and we expect Manitoba will follow suit soon. The numbers of infected continue to rise and the governments are doing everything in their power.

    LAWYERS ARE “ESSENTIAL” SERVICE

    The list is out. Lawyers and law firms are considered an essential service. We will continue to monitor the situation. Again, most staff at Clarke Law are working remotely. We only have 2 staff in the office to keep things up and running; however, we are not holding in-person meetings in the office. Feel free to drop off documents and we have been getting daily packages.

    NOTE: Immigration consultants are not on the list. As per usual, please contact an appropriate expert for assistance.

    LEADING BY EXAMPLE

    I have to commend our valiant leader PM Trudeau who is working from home in isolation. He is managing his busy household, with 3 young children, by himself while leading our country through very difficult times.

    We watch his daily briefings and he remains poised. Lead by example. Well done Sir!

    BORDERLINES PODCAST

    My colleagues in Vancouver have published an episode on The Canadian Immigration Consequences of COVID19. This does not seem to appear on their website (yet) so I would encourage you to find it in your podcast app.

    In particular, it is nice to hear some optimism from Deanna!

    START IN-CANADA REFUGEE CLAIM BY EMAIL

    As the IRCC Offices across Canada have closed due to COVID19, refugee claims in Canada are being submitted by email: IRCC.RefugeeClaim-Demandedasile.IRCC@cic.gc.ca

    We have been in regular contact with the IRB-RPD (Western Region) and we have been advised that all hearings have been postponed until 1 MAY 2020.

    UPDATE: 23/MARCH2020

    We had a busy weekend. The land border with the USA closed at midnight on Friday due to COVID19, causing a lot of confusion. I am not sure how “Tutor” became part of the definition of “immediate family member”.

    COVID19

    COVID19

    IN-PERSON MEETINGS CANCELLED

    In our office, most of our staff are working from home. We will continue to work on files and submit applications to maintain high standards. At the same time, we must do our part to fight this COVID19 virus from spreading. We encourage all our clients to contact us by telephone – 2045996966 or by email info@apply2manitoba.ca

    MANITOBA STATE OF EMERGENCY

    The provincial government has declared a State of Emergency to manage the spread of COVID19. These are extreme measures for extreme times. We are all taking these measures very seriously and we fully support any and all measures to protect the health and safety of residents.

    This means that groups over 50 people are banned. Gyms are closed. Most retail will close. See the government website for details. We are taking this day by day.

    UPDATE: 20/MARCH/2020

    ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM USA

    The Canadian government has further restricted border entries. Asylum seekers (refugee claimants) who seek to enter Canada at Ports of Entry will be refused entry. Asylum seekers (refugee claimants) who attempt irregular crossings into Canada will be returned to the US as part of an “exceptional measure” to protect residents in Canada.

    During a news briefing, Minister Blair has acknowledged exceptions, including unaccompanied minors, to filing a refugee claim at the border. Claims at the US-Canada border have decreased by half from ~40 daily to ~20 daily. They will be returned to the USA and the Minister has advised that they will not be detained.

    QUARANTINE ACT LEGISLATION

    Emergency legislation through the Quarantine Act limits entry to Canada, including “immediate family members” as defined by the new Order. This provides clarity on the previous announcements that will limit access to Canadian soil.

    Individuals crossing from the US may be required to spend a period of 14 days in the US due to COVID19 before they will be allowed to enter Canada.

    FASTER PROCESSING TIMES

    Minister Freeland has indicated that IRCC may be processing applications faster than usual. She has indicated that we need to recognize the need for “speed over attention”. She has emphasized the importance of processing files quickly. We are waiting for confirmation and details from Minister Mendicino’s office.

    —-

    UPDATE 19/MARCH/2020

    US VISA OFFICES – CUTTING SERVICES

    The US Government has announced that Visa Offices around the world will be cutting services and canceling appointments. This is an unprecedented decision that will impact thousands of applications.

    We believe the Canadian government may issue a similar order to Canadian Visa Offices. If you are in process of submitting an application, we encourage you to submit ASAP while the Visa Offices are still open.

    CANADA/USA BORDER RESTRICTIONS

    Through a mutual agreement, the Canadian and US government have agreed to limit travel across the land border to essential travel only. This is an attempt to limit tourism and cross-border shopping. There are exemptions for trade and/or trucking. Governments are working hard due to the numbers of COVID19 infections.

    —-

    UPDATE 18/MARCH/2020

    Please note that we have been dealing with the pandemic and monitoring the developments closely. We are trying to reply to all concerns in a systemic and orderly manner.

    IRB – HEARINGS POSTPONED

    Please note that most hearings at the tribunal have been postponed. This included refugee claims, admissibility hearings, and appeals. If you have a hearing that has been scheduled, we will provide updates from the IRB. Currently, the IRB front offce is closed to the public and they have released this message, published in 16/MARCH/2020. IRB Members are working on current cases and we received a positive decision today.

    ENTERING CANADA

    Please note that the Government of Canada has temporarily restricted entry to Canada. Previously, only Canadian citizens, PRs and a few exemptions have been permitted entry. Today, there may be additional restrictions. The situation has been changing daily, based on the risk assessment. If you or your loved ones are seeking entry to Canada, please review the changes that are published on news outlets, including CBC News.

    REMOVALS AND DEPORTATIONS

    CBSA has currently suspended all removals from Canada, including Departure Orders, Exclusion Orders and Deportation Orders; however, there are exceptions.

    APPOINTMENTS WITH IRCC

    IRCC has suspended in person meetings with Officers. Currently, they have announced that meetings may resume on 13/APRIL/2020; however, that may change depending on the pandemic.

    Successful applications who are scheduled to land and become Permanent Residents, need to contact IRCC if they are unable to travel. This includes COPR and PRV cases.

    BIOMETRICS

    All biometrics appointments inside Canada have been cancelled until further notice. IRCC has granted an automatic extension of 90 days.

    For biometrics appointments outside Canada, please contact the appropriate VAC or ASC.

    CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS

    Please note that CPC Sydney has temporarily closed and the office is not accepting packages. We will be submitting documentation as soon as they resume operations.

    CROSSING THE BORDER & POEs

    Please keep in mind that CBSA Officers at the border are on the front line. They have put in place measures to keep the Officers safe and, at the same time, follow instructions from Ottawa. We have been advised by other law firms in Canada that POEs may refuse to process applications that are not urgent.

    PR APPLICATIONS

    Applications for Permanent Residence and many other applications are being accepted. IRCC is encouraging all applicants to submit online, if possible.

    FEDERAL COURT – APPLICATIONS FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW

    The Court has issued a Notice regarding deadlines and ALJR. This information is effective 17/MARCH/2020

    MIGRANT WORKERS & FARMING

    We have been monitoring the situation. IRCC is acutely aware of the needs of the farming and agricultural sector. Current border restrictions may impact many workers who have travel plans. At this point, we encourage all temporary workers to monitor the situation closely.

    LEGAL AID MANITOBA

    LAM has announced that it will accept application online and their office is currently closed.

    —-

    13/MARCH/2020

    We want to thank all our clients and partners for continued patience, cooperation and understanding during this COVID29 pandemic. We have taken unprecedented actions to keep our staff safe and healthy. These precautions have been put in place to ensure that we can continue to work and serve our clients. We will continue to do the work that we love; however, we also need to stay safe & healthy.

    If you have come to the office recently, you have noticed the new signage. We announced the ban on shaking hands at the beginning of 2020 and we have put in place additional measures to limit personal contact and adhere to social distancing. In addition, starting on March 11th, we have put in place additional cleaning and other procedures to protect the office from viruses. We have added purification systems and many other measures for protection.

    We have also put in place additional procedures so that staff can work remotely from home, if necessary. We are monitoring ourselves regularly to make sure we are safe and healthy. We are taking the COVID19 pandemic seriously and we want to make sure that we follow all precautions so that we are not infected and that we do not infect anyone who comes to our office.

    Please take all measures to stay healthy.

    Poem for 2020

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    Here at Clarke Immigration Law, we try to have fun while we are working hard for our clients. For our end of year party, my colleague Kieran Szuchewycz wrote the following poem and he has graciously allowed us to publish this on our website. Enjoy!

    In fourteen hundred ninety two

    Columbus sailed the ocean blue

    In two thousand and twenty he came once more

    And landed north on Canadian shores

    And as he stepped off his Iberian plane

    With a thunderous voice he did proclaim

    “This land now belongs to the king of Spain”

     

    But a lot has changed in 500 years

    Empires have crumbled and new borders appeared

    And while jet wings are faster than sails

    IRCC processing times would frustrate a snail

    And unbeknownst to Columbus

    A flag stuck in the sand

    Would not grant him entry

    Into this, most exotic of lands

     

    So as Columbus kneeled down

    Thanking god for safe journey

    In rushed Minister Marco Mendicino

    Dragging him off in a hurry

     

    He seized his compass, pistol and feather plumbed hat

    Unplanted Spain’s flag from the damaged tarmac

    “Resist and I’ll give you a zap in the back!”

    “But I’m Columbus” he cried, “and that is a fact”

     

    The Minister hesitated,

    “Alright then Columbus please explain the purpose of your stay

    And show me some ID or I’ll send you away”

     

    “Well” said the explorer

    “I don’t have any passport per se

    But that shouldn’t really cause any delay

    Why make a big deal I’m already here anyway

    Plus I’ll probably head home in a couple of days”

     

    Minister Mendicino barked

    “That’s hullaballoo

    I’m the border’s bulldog and you ain’t getting through,

    I’m only going to ask once more so stay true

    Why did you come to Canada?

    Tell me what will you to do?”

     

    Columbus, now shaken, answered carefully

    “Well I fell in love with a woman in Canada see

    We’ll soon be engaged and then be married

    So we must to be reunited under IRPA section 3(d)

    In addition to that please refer to section 3 (g)

    Because, I’ll be enrolling as a student at the U of T,

    And, did I mention I’ve already earned a prestigious degree?

    Once it’s translated I’m sure you’ll agree

    That my skills are well suited for the work as it be

    In this land of the true north strong and free”

     

    “And please consider the strife on my native soil

    Where the people know nothing but sorrow and toil

    The police never act without a bribe in their hand

    And my beliefs, my opinions have been unjustly banned

    Why, against a cruel tyrant I took a brave stand

    And I’ve risked everything to reach this O Promised Land”

     

    “And if that’s not enough I’ve got money to spend

    I’ll be investing millions in a business

    On which countless Canadian jobs will depend

    So all of that combined with my lovely lady friend

    Surely my entry to Canada you will personally recommend”

     

    The Minister took notes of what Columbus had said,

    Then delivered his decision whilst shaking his head,

     

    “Listen close you so-called explorer

    I will never let you cross this damn border

    Are you unable to understand the nature of these proceedings?

    Or are you misrepresenting facts and being purposefully misleading?

    You’re a burden, a risk, your refugee claims are dismissible

    Reviewing these facts I find you inadmissible”

     

    So friends,

     

    The lesson of this story is plain to see

    Expect a fierce storm of questions at your port of entry

    It’s forced more to turn back than bad weather at sea

    So have your forms filled and your responses ready

    And should this tempest surpass your best preparation

    You need only reach out for a hand from Clarke Immigration

     

    Federal Court Success re MPNP and Misrepresentation

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    Congratulations to our client Ievgen Agapi, a truck driver from Ukraine, and all the supporting people who assisted with this case. Justice Ahmed of the Federal Court of Canada agreed with our arguments that the Visa Officer in Kiev failed to consider whether the alleged misrepresentation was honestly and reasonably made. Click here to read the full decision.

    This is a significant decision in the jurisprudence of misrepresentation, as well as the processing of MPNP applications.

    In the words of Justice Ahmed:

    14]  The Applicant points out that section 40 of the IRPA does not apply to misrepresentations made honestly by an applicant who reasonably believes they did not withhold material information (Medel v Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1990] 2 FC 345, Baro v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2007 FC 1299 (CanLII) at para 15, and Goudarzi v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 425 (CanLII) at para 33). The Applicant submits that his response to the procedural fairness letter provided evidence that this exception applies to his alleged misrepresentation; he explained that the knowledge of the potential fraud was beyond his control and in his view he reasonably and honestly believed that he was not misrepresenting any material facts. Despite his response to the procedural fairness letter, the Applicant submits the Manager failed to consider whether any alleged misrepresentation was honestly and reasonably made.

    [15]  The Respondent submits that the Applicant is merely “blaming” a third party for his misrepresentation and argues that efforts to get the original results were not before the decision-maker. The Respondent acknowledges that there is a “narrow exception” for innocent misrepresentation, but reiterates that it only applies in exceptional and narrow circumstance. The Respondent cites a line of jurisprudence for the proposition that misrepresentation made by a non-party to an application, without the applicant’s knowledge, does not save an application from an inadmissibility finding under section 40 of the IRPA. The Respondent also takes the position that the Applicant’s response to the procedural fairness letter did not meet the high standard to warrant such an exception.

    [16]  I agree with the Applicant that the Manager failed to consider whether the Applicant honestly and reasonably believed he was not withholding material information.

    CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS POSITIVE DECISION!

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