ARCHIVED – Backgrounder — Tackling immigration fraud in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia

Canada, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia are working together with Indian authorities to combat immigration fraud. They are involved in a number of ongoing efforts to crack down on unscrupulous immigration agents.

The Government of Canada recently announced measures aimed at deterring marriage fraud. A measure that prevents sponsored spouses or partners from sponsoring a new spouse or partner for five years was introduced in March 2012. A period of conditional permanent residence has also been proposed. Under this proposal, a spouse or partner being sponsored by a Canadian or permanent resident would be required to live together with their sponsor in a legitimate relationship for two years after receiving their permanent resident status in Canada.

The UK government has been reforming all major routes of entry to the UK in order to reduce net migration to more sustainable levels, while ensuring commitment to the entry of legitimate visitors and the brightest and best students and workers. Recent changes to family migration policy follow reforms already made to the work, study and work-related settlement routes, and complete the reform of all major immigration policies.

In 2011, Australia introduced a Fraud Public Interest Criteria (PIC) for all General Skilled Migration, Business Skills and Student visa applications. The Fraud PIC provides the ability to refuse a visa application where false or misleading information or bogus documentation is provided as part of an application. All applicants included in the application would be refused and subject to a three year ban on grant of a further visa that is subject to the Fraud PIC.

All three governments are united in combating immigration fraud and are committed to continuing to crack down on such illegal activity.

This backgrounder is available in Punjabi and Hindi.

• Punjabi  (PDF, 151 KB) (PDF, 150.99KB)
• Hindi  (PDF, 200 KB) (PDF, 199.72KB)

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