Shellbrook, North Battleford tied to Saskatchewan immigration fraud case

According to the Canada Border Services Agency, investigators in Regina began looking into the matter in 2018 after border services officers across Canada reported unusually large numbers of immigration applications linked to a Saskatoon-based non-profit. Investigators found Singh counselled foreign nationals to submit false employment information on federal and provincial immigration applications, including falsified pay stubs, offers of employment and other supporting documents for jobs that did not exist.

Justice Keene found the offence involved “an elaborate and sophisticated series of fraudulent and misleading schemes” carried out over several years and said the immigration process requires “utmost good faith” from participants.

The decision outlines several applications and supporting documents that the court found were false or misleading. They included applications connected to Vault’s Kitchen in Watson and Shellbrook, SGGS Enterprises, GNG Construction in North Battleford and Saskatoon, Akal Enterprises, and the Delisle Restaurant.

In one example, the court said an application connected to GNG Construction in North Battleford included a fabricated lease for a commercial building on 100th Street. Investigators later spoke with the building owner, who said the company had not leased space there.

The court also reviewed a statement from Jasbir Singh, who said he paid Balvir Singh a total of about $40,000 connected to immigration sponsorship. Keene described Jasbir Singh as a vulnerable person who was victimized financially and emotionally.

CBSA said it worked with Saskatchewan’s Immigrant Nominee Program during the investigation and identified a significant number of foreign nationals connected to Singh who came to Canada with misrepresented information. The agency said many later worked outside the scope of their permits, including in delivery, construction and restaurant jobs.

In addition to the conditional sentence, Singh must follow several court-ordered conditions. They include reporting to a supervisor, staying within Saskatchewan unless he has written permission, obeying a curfew for the first 12 months, having no contact with Jasbir Singh, completing community service and having no direct or indirect involvement in immigration-related matters.

The $10,000 fine is to be paid in yearly installments of $2,500 beginning June 1, 2027. The court also ordered a forfeiture order to be issued.

Justice Keene said a conditional discharge or suspended sentence would not be appropriate, finding the case required denunciation and deterrence because the schemes were carried out for profit and undermined federal and provincial immigration programs.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

Shellbrook, North Battleford tied to Saskatchewan immigration fraud case

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