By Michael Tutton, Globe and Mail |
A second federal probe is underway in Prince Edward Island alleging hundreds of people gained permanent residency in Canada by using local addresses where they didn’t live, under a provincial business immigration system that’s faced criticism for loose oversight.
A search warrant from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) alleges 462 applicants to the provincial nominee program used Charlottetown homes belonging to two Chinese immigrants over the past four years as “addresses of convenience.”
Lead investigator Lana Hicks says in the document, filed June 13, that she suspects the immigrants didn’t come to the Island and settle, contrary to the requirements of the provincial program.
Rather, she alleged their immigration documents are collected and sent on to them, “at their real address elsewhere in Canada or back in China,” she writes.
The allegations, which have not been proven in court, come just two months after two Charlottetown hoteliers were charged with aiding in immigration fraud, with the CBSA alleging 566 immigrants used the addresses of the siblings’ hotel and home.
The siblings’ lawyer recently denied the allegations of misrepresentation in comments to reporters, and said they intend to plead not guilty.
However, the latest allegations, if they lead to charges, would bring the total number of “address of convenience” cases to about 1,000 in the provincial nominee program (PNP), with all but a few of these immigrants gaining permanent residency in Canada.
Permanent residents are immigrants who are not Canadian citizens, but they have been given permission to stay and work in Canada for five years before applying for renewal. They have most of the rights of citizens and can take advantage of social programs, but they can’t vote, seek public office, obtain a Canadian passport or hold jobs that require a security clearance.
Under the P.E.I. program, the applicants provide the Island government with a $200,000 refundable deposit, and commit to invest $150,000 and manage a firm.
After the deal is signed, the province nominates the investor to the federal Immigration Department as a permanent resident, which they usually receive in the mail before they fulfil the conditions of setting up a business and living on the Island.