CIC must be scrutinizing all the application now for supporting documents. This is sad & a set-back for genuine applications.
Immigration fraudsters exploiting new rules
Federal anti-fraud unit finds 22 per cent of Chinese applicants misrepresented credentials
By Peter O'Neil, Vancouver Sun January 10, 2012
New federal immigration rules passed in 2008 to make the system more streamlined and "responsive" to Canadian economic needs were exploited by Chinese fraudsters, according to newly released internal documents.
The Conservative government quickly confirmed that the documents, obtained by immigration lawyer Richard Kurland, reflect a continuing problem that needs to be tackled.
An official acknowledged concerns with bogus applications, particularly those relating to the arranged employment offer (AEO) program.
Bill C-50, passed in 2008 under former minister Diane Finley, was intended to let the government set priorities in its selection of economic immigrants to ensure emphasis on particular skilled workers needed by Canadian businesses.
Studies found many applicants misrepresented their education and exaggerated their experience.
"We are aware of this issue and are concerned," said Candice Malcolm, spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
"That is why we are currently reviewing options to strengthen the AEO process to prevent this fraud from taking place in the future."
She said the Harper government has "done more than any government in Canadian history to crack down on all types of immigration fraud and strengthen the integrity of Canadian citizenship."
The documents underline a problem that is of particular concern to B.C., since close to a third of permanent residents allowed into Canada are from China.
B.C. attracted 9,317 of the 30,197 permanent residents from China in 2010, according to government statistics. Of the 17,934 Chinese students entering Canada in 2010, 6,061 went to B.C.
Kurland said the documents show that understaffed Canadian missions in certain countries aren't able to contain the pressure from applicants who misrepresent themselves.
"It's China, it's Pakistan, it's Africa, and it's because some countries of the world do not have western democratic institutions issuing reliable paper-work. It's that simple," said Kurland, who obtained the documents through the Access to Information Act.
Canadian officials have "opened their eyes and they see the problem. The question is, what are they going to do about it, if anything?"
Kurland said the continuing fraud problem could be handled by put-ting greater emphasis on recruiting skilled foreigners already in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Workers program.
One study of skilled worker applicants from Hong Kong under the AEO program during 2008-10 found only 22 per cent had genuine jobs in Canada and many had "very low" English-speaking skills.
"There are serious problems with the validity of job offers" in the AEO category, wrote the authors of the analysis.
An analysis by the Canadian government's anti-fraud unit in Beijing, meanwhile, found that between late 2008 and early 2010, more than one in five applicants (22 per cent) misrepresented their own employment records.
The greatest abusers were supposed "financial auditors and accountants," as 42 per cent of them were lying about their credentials and were in many cases merely cashiers or bookkeepers.
Another above-average category was financial managers, with 27 per cent of applications being fraudulent.
"Employment fraud is an issue on certain profiles of C-50 applications," stated a summary of the report that considered applications for workers headed primarily to Ontario.
"A more thorough verification pro-cess is required."
Another 2010 study of applicants from Taiwan found that of 31 AEO applicants, the vast majority headed for B.C., only five - or 16 per cent of the total - took jobs with the employers that made the offers.
Source > http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Immigration+fraudsters+exploiting+rules/5971553/story.html
Immigration fraudsters exploiting new rules
Federal anti-fraud unit finds 22 per cent of Chinese applicants misrepresented credentials
By Peter O'Neil, Vancouver Sun January 10, 2012
New federal immigration rules passed in 2008 to make the system more streamlined and "responsive" to Canadian economic needs were exploited by Chinese fraudsters, according to newly released internal documents.
The Conservative government quickly confirmed that the documents, obtained by immigration lawyer Richard Kurland, reflect a continuing problem that needs to be tackled.
An official acknowledged concerns with bogus applications, particularly those relating to the arranged employment offer (AEO) program.
Bill C-50, passed in 2008 under former minister Diane Finley, was intended to let the government set priorities in its selection of economic immigrants to ensure emphasis on particular skilled workers needed by Canadian businesses.
Studies found many applicants misrepresented their education and exaggerated their experience.
"We are aware of this issue and are concerned," said Candice Malcolm, spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
"That is why we are currently reviewing options to strengthen the AEO process to prevent this fraud from taking place in the future."
She said the Harper government has "done more than any government in Canadian history to crack down on all types of immigration fraud and strengthen the integrity of Canadian citizenship."
The documents underline a problem that is of particular concern to B.C., since close to a third of permanent residents allowed into Canada are from China.
B.C. attracted 9,317 of the 30,197 permanent residents from China in 2010, according to government statistics. Of the 17,934 Chinese students entering Canada in 2010, 6,061 went to B.C.
Kurland said the documents show that understaffed Canadian missions in certain countries aren't able to contain the pressure from applicants who misrepresent themselves.
"It's China, it's Pakistan, it's Africa, and it's because some countries of the world do not have western democratic institutions issuing reliable paper-work. It's that simple," said Kurland, who obtained the documents through the Access to Information Act.
Canadian officials have "opened their eyes and they see the problem. The question is, what are they going to do about it, if anything?"
Kurland said the continuing fraud problem could be handled by put-ting greater emphasis on recruiting skilled foreigners already in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Workers program.
One study of skilled worker applicants from Hong Kong under the AEO program during 2008-10 found only 22 per cent had genuine jobs in Canada and many had "very low" English-speaking skills.
"There are serious problems with the validity of job offers" in the AEO category, wrote the authors of the analysis.
An analysis by the Canadian government's anti-fraud unit in Beijing, meanwhile, found that between late 2008 and early 2010, more than one in five applicants (22 per cent) misrepresented their own employment records.
The greatest abusers were supposed "financial auditors and accountants," as 42 per cent of them were lying about their credentials and were in many cases merely cashiers or bookkeepers.
Another above-average category was financial managers, with 27 per cent of applications being fraudulent.
"Employment fraud is an issue on certain profiles of C-50 applications," stated a summary of the report that considered applications for workers headed primarily to Ontario.
"A more thorough verification pro-cess is required."
Another 2010 study of applicants from Taiwan found that of 31 AEO applicants, the vast majority headed for B.C., only five - or 16 per cent of the total - took jobs with the employers that made the offers.
Source > http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Immigration+fraudsters+exploiting+rules/5971553/story.html