Source: https://meurrensonimmigration.com/misrepresentation-2/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 12:15:36+00:00

Document:
Section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act provides that a permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to Canada for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of Canada’s immigration laws.
The general consequence of misrepresenting is a five-year ban from entering Canada.
That is, the Court held in Khan that such an interpretation would lead to situations where individuals could knowingly misrepresent their circumstances, but nevertheless escape an inadmissibility finding, as long as they disclosed the misrepresentation right before a decision was made. Not only would such an interpretation encourage the abuse of the Act, it also ignores the requirement to provide truthful information in applications under the Act.
The Court’s concerns in Khan are amply illustrated by the facts of this case, where the applicants only came forward with their “clarification” once they knew that their lies were about to be uncovered through genetic testing.
As a consequence, I am satisfied that the officer’s conclusion that the applicants had misrepresented material facts relating to a relevant matter that could have induced an error in the administration of the Act was one that was reasonably open to him on the record before him.
The fact is, our system of immigration control relies heavily on the truthfulness of those who apply to come here. Those who misrepresent their histories or withhold material information with a view to enhancing their chances for entry are undeserving of special consideration. The consequences for Mr. Bundhel are undoubtedly serious but they result from his failure to disclose material information. The integrity of Canada’s control over its borders demands nothing less than scrupulous honesty from applicants and the rigid enforcement of that obligation. The Officer’s decision fulfills this principle and is in all respects reasonable.
It is necessary that the misrepresentation be material. A simple inaccuracy is insufficient to result in a misrepresentation finding. For example, if an applicant accurately states their duties, location of employment, title, etc. but gets the legal name of the employer wrong it may not result in a misrepresentation finding, as the Federal Court of Canada noted in Song v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration).
If someone who is sponsoring a foreign national makes a misrepresentation, then it is the foreign national who will be found to be inadmissible. In 2018, the Federal Court of Canada in Li v. Canada determined that the Canada Border Services Agency can in such circumstances commence removal proceedings against the Sponsor, a decision which is as of writing under appeal.
It is important to note that the rule against misrepresentation applies to permanent residents as well as foreign nationals. A permanent resident can be removed from Canada and/or lose their status if they commit misrepresentation.
If someone hire a shady consultant or lawyer that lies on the forms, that person cannot use their representative as an excuse. It is applicant who will be punished.
For IRCC to make a misrepresentation finding it is necessary that the misrepresentation actually have had the possibility to cause an officer to reach an erroneous decision, and induce an error in the administration of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In Murugan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada), the Federal Court found that omitting a visitor visa refusal from a permanent residence application could not have resulted in an error in the administration of the Act.
If IRCC believes that there is a discrepancy between what an applicant says at a port of entry interview and what was in the application then procedural fairness will at a minimum require IRCC to advise the applicant of the general concern, and, as was the case in Guerrero v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada), even provide the applicant with the exact statements that were allegedly said at the port of entry. The Federal Court found a similar duty regarding inconsistent statements at spousal sponsorship interviews in Huang v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration). However, there is no obligation to specifically state that an officer is concerned that there is a misrepresentation. As the Federal Court found in Narang v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), simply asking for comment on an inconsistency is sufficient.
There is an important distinction between insufficiency of evidence and misrepresentation. While an officer can often find that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that an applicant meets the requirements of immigration, this is distinct from the test for misrepresentation, as the Federal Court found in Seraj v. Camada (Citizenship and Immigration).
A visa application must be considered in its totality. It cannot be compartmentalized, particularly when making a finding of misrepresentation carries such serious consequences. In other words, where there is a misrepresentation in one portion of an application, but the truth can be found in another part, then a finding of misrepresentation may be inappropriate, as was the case in Lamsen v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration).
Officers must be vigilant that the misrepresentation findings are sound, given their serious and lasting consequences.
Typically, although not always, it is insufficient for an officer to assign little weight to documentary evidence simply by stating that the “easy availability of inauthentic documents” in a country.
The materiality analysis is not limited to a particular point in time in the processing of the application.
Pursuant to the Federal Court’s decision in Patel v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), it is misrepresentation to not disclose a United States visa refusal in a temporary residence application.
As per the Federal Court’s decision in Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v. Singh Sidhu, 2018 FC 306 a permanent resident inadmissible for indirectly representing a material fact if they are landed as a dependent of a principal applicant who misrepresented material facts on his application for landing.
Section 40 is to be given a broad interpretation in order to promote its underlying purpose. Section 40 is broadly worded to encompasses misrepresentations even if made by another party, including an immigration consultant, without the knowledge of the applicant.
The exception to this rule is narrow and applies only to truly extraordinary circumstances where an applicant honestly and reasonably believed that they were not misrepresenting a material fact and knowledge of the misrepresentation was beyond the applicant’s control.
The objective of section 40 is to deter misrepresentation and maintain the integrity of the immigration process. To accomplish this, the onus is placed on the applicant to ensure the completeness and accuracy of their application. An applicant has a duty of candour to provide complete, honest and truthful information in every manner when applying for entry into Canada. As the applicant is responsible for the content of an application which they sign, the applicant’s belief that he or she was not misrepresenting a material fact is not reasonable where they fail to review their application and ensure the completeness and veracity of the document before signing it.
In determining whether a misrepresentation is material, regard must be had for the wording of the provision and its underlying purpose. A misrepresentation need not be decisive or determinative. It is material if it is important enough to affect the process.
An applicant may not take advantage of the fact that the misrepresentation is caught by the immigration authorities before the final assessment of the application. The materiality analysis is not limited to a particular point in time in the processing of the application.
Please note that none of the information on this website should be construed as being legal advice. As well, you should not rely on any of the information contained in this website when determining whether and how to apply to a given program. Canadian immigration law is constantly changing, and the information above may be dated. If you have a question about the contents of this blog, or any question about Canadian immigration law, please contact the Author.
Our firm practices almost exclusively in Canadian immigration matters, including work permit applications, provincial nominations, skilled worker applications, spousal sponsorships, applications on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, business applications, residency and sponsorship appeals, and judicial review applications at Federal Court.
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