Three women have been sentenced to 18 months in jail and fined thousands of dollars for their involvement in an unlicensed immigration consulting business in the Metro Vancouver area.
Jin “Fanny” Ma, Ming Kun “Makkie” Wu and Wen “Vivian” Jiang were sentenced for their part in a large-scale immigration fraud through New Can Consultants Ltd. and Wellong International Investments Ltd., according to a Canada Border Services Agency press release.
From 2006 to 2013, over 1,600 of New Can’s clients collectively paid approximately $10 million for fraudulent services, the CBSA says, including creating the fictitious appearance of Canadian residency so clients could maintain permanent resident status and obtain Canadian citizenship.
The sentences stem from the largest investigation of immigration fraud in B.C. history by both the CBSA and the criminal investigations section of the Canada Revenue Agency.
All three woman had previously pleaded guilty to several charges, including representing on immigration matters without authority, passport offences, misrepresentation, forgery and tax evasion.
Ma received a fine in the amount of $96,000, Wu was fined $50,000 and Jiang was fined $74,000.
Officials say CBSA’s Inland Enforcement Section has reviewed the list of clients, and is actively pursuing investigations on any person found to have misrepresented themselves through fraud or deceit in order to obtain or maintain their permanent resident status in Canada.
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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