Immigration Fraud, Marriage of Convenience, Marriage Fraud and Marriage Scam.

[watsonwoo]

Hi:

I married a Chinese Girl. I wanted to start a family and I do not want the headache of searching, and partying.
I sponsored my spouse and she arrived in Ottawa, Sept 15, 2006.
I a brought her over to Montreal to visit her relatives on Sept 16, 2006, then she ran away.

I had dealt with lawyers, and immigration Canada. I am stuck.

Please advise.

Thanks
Watson

[thaiguy]

Watson,

I'm not an expert, but I think the only thing you can do is try to reach her through her relatives.  Or if you think there's foul play involved, you could contact the police.  But be careful not to file a false report.

Even though you married and sponsored her, you can't forbid her from leaving - that's a crime.

Sorry to hear your story.  It is a cautionary tale as to why CIC requires so much due diligence in proving relationships.

[gilipsie]

I am sorry to hear this.  It must have been very hard on you.  Do you notify Immigration, will they go after her?

[stevesun_us]

Hi, Watson,

Sorry to hear your story. I'm a Chinese guy and have been in Toronto for four years. Two years ago, I went back to China and married a girl whom I first met in 2000. After she landed in Toronto and got her cards including maple card, insurance card and health card, one week later, she ran away, like your wife. Later on, I found that her background except her name was totally fake, such as her age, her parents address, her family members and her diploma. I have reported this fraud case to CIC and am waiting for further decision. I hope CIC or police can involve in this case very soon. Where do you live ? Maybe we can share some information each other. My MSN: stevesun_us@hotmail.com

Are there any advice about this kind of things in Canada ? Who is in charge of it in Canada? CIC or police?


     

[watsonwoo]

Hi, Watson,

Sorry to hear your story. I'm a Chinese guy and have been in Toronto for four years. Two years ago, I went back to China and married a girl whom I first met in 2000. After she landed in Toronto and got her cards including maple card, insurance card and health card, one week later, she ran away, like your wife. Later on, I found that her background except her name was totally fake, such as her age, her parents address, her family members and her diploma. I have reported this fraud case to CIC and am waiting for further decision. I hope CIC or police can involve in this case very soon. Where do you live ? Maybe we can share some information each other. My MSN: stevesun_us@hotmail.com

Are there any advice about this kind of things in Canada ? Who is in charge of it in Canada? CIC or police?

====
Hi Mr Stevensun:

There are very few advice.
CIC just tells me that I should have known. In other words, it is my fault.
Police tells me it is a civil matter.
RCMP tells me to call CIC.
My lawyer tells me that there is a law but there is little that has been done.


     

[watsonwoo]

I am sorry to hear this.  It must have been very hard on you.  Do you notify Immigration, will they go after her?

Hi Gilipsie:

I called Immigration Numerous times. There is a process where they could investigate and have my spouse deported.
She would have to have done a crime before our marriage then when Immigration finds out, she could be deported.
Otherwise, Immigration feels it is ok to wear me out until I am exhausted then I would quit and divorce after 3 years.
Immigration shuffles me aside and tells me that this is a marriage breakdown.
There are LOTS and lots of victims like me. Many who just sit back and wait. But I chose to fight back, to uphold justice.

Immigration so far have not gone after her.
Thanks

[watsonwoo]

Watson,

I'm not an expert, but I think the only thing you can do is try to reach her through her relatives.  Or if you think there's foul play involved, you could contact the police.  But be careful not to file a false report.

Even though you married and sponsored her, you can't forbid her from leaving - that's a crime.

Sorry to hear your story.  It is a cautionary tale as to why CIC requires so much due diligence in proving relationships.

Dear Mr Thaiguy:

Yes, I cannot forbid her from leaving. But after getting to know her for 2 years. Then I spent thousands of dollars to get her over here just to have her run off is just plain mean, cruel and heartless. Better yet, she blames me and she tells me that I have changed. I believed her until someone started asking me lots of questions and he decided that there is something wrong here. She tells me that she is sick and she just goes to work and she returns straight home. But whenever I call her she is going out eating dinner with people and she manages to work 6 days a week. Under the table of course. There was no love, no real marriage. It is a total scam. I am the victim and I am victimize by the system.

The problem is that her relatives are involved. They may know where she is but they do not want to give me the information.

Thanks

[mags]

Dear Watson,
 I met you in Toronto this past summer when we did the Fraud Squad taping. I am also a victim of Immigration Marriage Fraud and want the Government to change the Sponsorship laws to make the process more difficult once our so-called spouses arrive in Canada. Let's do this together with all the help we can support each other with to rid this issue once and for all. Take care and keep on fighting for the rights of each person who falls in love and doesn't need to become a victim of this horrific crime.
Maggie Gutierrez ( Cook )

[DancingFeather]

Well, so many victims and its sad because it ruins it for the real marriages. I have solved the problem..I don't accept to sponsor. The person I am going to marry has to sponsor himself and apply for PR without my sponsoring him. This way it is the best proof of him being in love with me and legit and I am not spending a dime on helping him do so.

This way if and when he does come and it doesn't work out..I am not responsible for him in any way and I have just wasted my time and not money which for me is much worse than the time spent as time is nothing as money it is hard to earn.

All those who have sponsored husbands or wives are responsible for any financial debts they make within 3 years. I have a friend who has 20,000$ to pay back to the welfare. Yep, if they go on welfare..you have to pay back and one must prove the marriage was a fraud and even then..they may not be deported anyway. My girlfriend got caught like that and even though she wrote and proved her husband married her by fraud..immigration said..nothing can be done..imagine that!!!

[lisa_and_abeed]

Dear Watson,
That is really sad to hear...it sounds not exactly like fraud though since you were in contact for two years. I know of many stories of fraud but the criminal usually leaves the victim within a few months if they do have what they want...they usually move on and find another victim. I know this from my husbands stories of women he met online before he married me who just wanted money from him for marriage. Thank God, he had a good friend test them and use internet spying to determine they were liars.  But your wife communicated for 2 years...and she mentioned something about mental illness, is this correct? Perhaps, she really is mentally ill, like depression or psychosis and just needs a doctor. It can happen that psychotic people attack their loved ones in defense and even run from them because they have paranoid delusions. If this latter situation is the case then I hope you try to find her and get her help before you charge her with a crime. It is really awful to be in the criminal justice system while suffering from mental illness. Police simply do not understand and tolerate mental illness like doctors. I pray you find out the truth soon.
Also, When two people communicate for a long time online or in letters  then sometimes they develop an unclear or deluded fantasy about the other person that is not real. It happens that when they meet in person then learn that they are totally different. Maybe she was sincere in her love but when she met you  her fantasy was crushed because reality kicked in.
Lisa

[DancingFeather]

An update since I posted..well, it turned out that the guy finally wore himself out trying to convince me he did love me and to sponsor him. I refused and after 3 months..he disappeared as many others have done.

Immigration is very good to send back families but don't send back marriage frauders. My girlfriend gave all the proof of her husband's fraud and they ignored her. She even wrote to the immigration minister and never got a reply.

So I get so bloody mad when I see immigration sending back families who have a business, contriubte to society and have even children here..so they lose everything and go back to nothing and who knows..death and the children who are canadians by birth of these parents..have to leave also.

There are so many who come here to use the system..welfare..I have heard it many times from immigrants who work under the table and say what a great system canada has and so easy to fraud.  I am telling you the immigration system isn't great. I have even heard horror stories that they hold immigrants in the basement of the immigration building in horrible conditions. I had one man for whom I wrote his pif for and it was horrible the treatement he got here while being held.

Also am angry at these so called *lawyers* who know nothing about immigration and cause people to be deported or refuse. I have taken cases that I had to redo completely over which were not done properly and their file were just put aside and probably still would be in limbo if I hadn't taken their cases and redone them properly.

There is so much going on that we don't know about what is going on. USA will deport someone back to their country even if they are in danger of being killed. Canada won't if proven that they are in danger but of course they can make mistakes also.

So men and women in Canada, don't sponsor anyone that you meet on holidays or someone introduces you to someone. If the person is truly in love..let them make the steps to come to Canada. So far, it has been working for me..so far am still..unmarried and I consider myself blessed as I won't go through what you all have been going through.

I have a friend who hasn't listened and has sponsored a woman from his country..she is 18 and he is 40..trust me once she is here..she will disappear also and he will be stuck for 3 years to pay anything that she doesn't pay. I have seen it time and time again.

It is time that Immigration make tougher laws on sponsorship..like the person being sponsored must deposit an amount of money for 3 years which gives time to find out if that person is truly who he or she is and loses it all if proven he or she did a fraud of marriage and the money would be given to the sponsor for the money he or she spent to spônsor. That I know would limit sponsorship but look at all the fraud stopped and those same people go on welfare so it costs us even more.

It would put a kink in the people who want to fraud..call it a sponsership bond. So one has 3 years to find out if their spouse is who they say they are because 3 years is a long time to stay with someone if you pretended to love them..the truth finally comes out.

[thaiguy]

It is time that Immigration make tougher laws on sponsorship..like the person being sponsored must deposit an amount of money for 3 years which gives time to find out if that person is truly who he or she is and loses it all if proven he or she did a fraud of marriage and the money would be given to the sponsor for the money he or she spent to spônsor.

DF, your suggestion would result in pseudo-slavery for immigrant wives/husbands.  That and it's simply too huge a burden for the vast majority of immigrants.

It sounds like you've made some mistakes in your choices of partners and you're trying to take it out on the immigrant community.

Grow up.

[indimer04]

well put thaiguy!

It does seem that df has made some negative choices in the past and is now attacking everyone in a negative way.  Her comments have always been to persuade others not to continue in what they believe may work. People come on here to get help or insight into choices they need to make in their current lives, i know i did and this site has really helped me out and that is why i don't like the way she has turned away certain people in believing that some relationships wont work.  Its up to the individual in the end to make that choice . I am not saying its bad to express your views but don't be negative all the time either ...since there is always two sides to every equation.  I know that i am happy in the choice i made to marry my husband whom i meet on the internet without even meeting him first..and also i have a daughter too...which by the way truly loves my husband!!!!!!!so, not all internet or long distance relationships are failures...especially when it involves men from the Muslim faith or men from Africa in general.... i support all women out there who want to persue a relationship with anyone from a far away country.

[DancingFeather]

You make me all laugh..I did not make any bad choices and none of you can say that you have always made right choices

You all misunderstood..it would not be slavery but a protection for the one who is sponsoring someone. Such a law will come to pass but in what context I don't know but I have heard rumors that it is considered that the person being sponsored make a certain deposit and it will be given back if he or she did not marry just to get into canada. It doesn't mean that if the person turns out to be in a abusive relationship to leave..it would mean that it would prevent what is happening to men an women who marry people and the very same day they enter or a few days later..disappear.

I have suggested many times to immigration canada to help the immigrants and also to cut time and money..to let the immigrants pay all the fees upfront and if for some reason they are not accepted that their monies be returned less the 75$ fee that is already unrefundable. well they finally listened and if you go and read up..you will find just what I have written.

All my clients I always made them pay all the immigration fees upfront and it saved them 6-8mos waiting time of back and forth writing. All my clients were accepted and are now in Canada. I have a pastor from Africa that is in Ontario and I having him transfered here, a job waiting for him, I found him a one and a half all paid for 440$ a month and furnished..including a parking spot. And above all he just has to cross the street and its 3 min to his job. I went to the place, paid the deposit to reserve the place and got the key so that I can go and bring him things he doesn't have and fix up the place with the superintendent so that when he opens the door..he is at home..because I know what it's like to be in a foreign country with no one, no family or friends. He had to leave because the gouv. wanted to kill him because he was for the poor and denouncing what they were doing.

Lucky for him..I was in contact with him and so he is safe for now. That is my mission in life. I help people all the time. I stop to talk to street people..I even take them to the restaurant for a good meal. I gave away 10 bags of my best clothes for people who were in dire need. I am always helping out some way or another. So I know what I am talking about and what is important is that I can help. I am no way rich or have a fancy car, but I have values and satisfaction to see smiles on peoples faces when I can help them out.

So I laugh when people like yourselves talk about me in a negative way. I know who I am and so does the Lord and He is probably laughing too lolllllllllll.

[doazbeg]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/facts/marriage.asp

[kellychafik]

Good for you Dancing feather. I fully agree with you 100%. I am the victim of marriage scam and I so wish that there was more information about this before I married. These people that are saying bad stuff about you they dont know you. Your allowed to give advice just like they give advice. Maybe they get so defensive because deep down inside they know it could happend to them. I felt the same way when I was reading the bad comments that people were posting about moroccan men. If they would only realize that we are saying this stuff to help them and not to hurt them. I would not want anyone to go through what I just did and continue to do. Thank God that immigration is actually working with me and helping me to get my husband deported. Only because I have so much evidence.  I wish everyone good luck and good health on this board and anything I post is just to give you an insight of what could happen.

Take Care

[sarita]

Ok so I just had my immigrant husband disappear on me.  He stayed 9 months with me and left when I wasn't home.  No warning, nothing.  I know where he is though and he has called me.  Question is, I think I can prove this was a marriage of convenience to him, he never said we had any problems, said he was happy, never asked me to fix anything between us, i have proof he kept a girlfriend back home all this time, and I have all his emails about the plans to leave.  So if I can prove that MOC was his intent, will that help me get him deported?

I am trying to keep it together but wow is it tough.

[PMM]

Hi

Ok so I just had my immigrant husband disappear on me.  He stayed 9 months with me and left when I wasn't home.  No warning, nothing.  I know where he is though and he has called me.  Question is, I think I can prove this was a marriage of convenience to him, he never said we had any problems, said he was happy, never asked me to fix anything between us, i have proof he kept a girlfriend back home all this time, and I have all his emails about the plans to leave.  So if I can prove that MOC was his intent, will that help me get him deported?

I am trying to keep it together but wow is it tough.

Nope, and now you are still responsible for him for the next 27 months.

PMM

[LCS]

The immigration system SHOULD go one step farther when the sponsor has been duped and the person immigrating had obtained a MOC Another case of the legal system letting down the victim. If the sponsor has the evidence that the person immigrating has lied and withheld facts and information (ie. maintaining a romantic partner in the coutry of origin), they've basically lied on their part of the application. They should have their PR status revoked and deported. But then again we can't even get the system to deport criminals that are landed immigrants. 

[PMM]

Hi

The immigration system SHOULD go one step farther when the sponsor has been duped and the person immigrating had obtained a MOC Another case of the legal system letting down the victim. If the sponsor has the evidence that the person immigrating has lied and withheld facts and information (ie. maintaining a romantic partner in the coutry of origin), they've basically lied on their part of the application. They should have their PR status revoked and deported. But then again we can't even get the system to deport criminals that are landed immigrants. 

Remember CIC/CHC is not your mother, if you enter into a romantic relationship with someone, although love is blind, don't you think that you should at least know something about the person you are marrying and supposedily spending the rest of your life with? 

PMM

[LCS]

My concern is not so much that the sponsor is, unfortunately, responsible. Of course, the sponsor entered into the relationship on their own. But if the sponsor is the key to showing evidence that the con artist did marry for convenience, left that person quickly and was therefore completely DISHONEST AND LIED on their PR application therefore a total misrepresentation of their information to the Federal immigration system, I would LIKE to think our Government has some concern and reluctance to let a dishonest, lying, cheating, scam artist have the damn "PRIVILEDGE" of staying in this country to lie and cheat and con and scam their way through life because they're allowed to stay here. It goes beyond the sponsor, it will affect more people after the sponsor's time of obligation is long since finished. Then that person is amongst us preying on their next unaware target because there is no avenue of tossing these people out of here. 

[scammed101]

Hi, I married a lady from Eastern Europe . She  came to Canada,on a TRV,back in  July /2007. After a WHOLE 41 days of living together, she moved out while I was at work. Many people from her community,Ukrainian, are helping her with legal fees etc. When she arrived, she was 100% a different person. I have been scammed, big time.  I have proof that she was working,in a hotel as a chambermaid. Yet Immigration still granted her a small extension...Canada makes Immigration Laws to cater to Immigrants and NOT Canadians. In Belgium,they have a Gold Diggers Law that eliminates these scammers IMMEDIATELY and returns them to their own country.Now she has a lawyer and they are trying to get spousal support and half of my assets.. Immigration does not like dealing with me , as I have been on their case almost daily and will not let a group of liers,cheaters and scammers try to take over OUR  Country and try to get her to stay here ... I need help, as I am fighting this almost alone..... Scammed101

[LCS]

I think a Gold Digger's Law in Canada is a GREAT idea. Over the years our Goverment has been letting hundreds of thousands of people into this country, following in the steps of England and paying the consequences as they have done with their immigrant problems. There is no defined law for those who have cheated and lied their way into this country either via a relationship scam or faking their refugee statuses, credentials, or any other paperwork that somehow let them slip through the cracks. We should also follow Belgium's example, there should be an avenue for immediate removal of these people and not just for Gold Digger's. Laws that protect Canadian citizens, original or naturalized, not landed immigrants.   

[LCS]

Some new info. I was reading on another site
immigration.ca/blog-loveorresidency.asp

"The Vancouver-based Canadian Marriage Fraud Victim Society (CMFVS), comprised of victims of marriage scams, has been putting pressure on Ottawa to develop a plan that will deter foreign spouses from using Canadians to obtain residency."

Might be some changes in the future.

[Canada Marriage Fraud NPO]

Marriages of convenience are not allowed under Canada's immigration law! Or are they?

I have sponsored my wife to immigrate to Canada and soon after she landed, she abandoned me.

Before sponsoring my wife, I visited the CIC website:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/facts/marriage.asp

"Marriages of conv[en]ience are not allowed under Canada's immigration law. It is illegal to be married simply to immigrate to Canada. Spousal sponsorship is a serious legal commitment." "If a person enters into a marriage of convenience and comes to Canada as an immigrant, enforcement action can be taken. This enforcement action could result in deportation, and is the responsibility of the Canada Border Services Agency."

After sponsoring my wife, and after my wife abandoned me, I contacted Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and I have been told by the representative on the phone that "We are sorry that she has used you to come to Canada; there is nothing that can be done as she has already landed in Canada; she is recognized as a legal immigrant and you have to support her for three years although you might have been abused." What does this mean? Has the government of Canada deceived me? Why is the marriage of convenience "illegal" before the sponsored persons land in Canada and "legal" after they land in Canada? When the sponsorship principle is based on the truthfulness of the relationship between the wife and the husband, why the sponsorship is not void although the relationship has not been genuine?

I am writing to express my deepest concern that there is no marriage commitment in Canada, marriage fraud is legal in Canada, and the Canadian system is victimizing the citizen sponsors by supporting marriages of Convenience with sole purpose of immigrating to Canada. My family and I are victims of the Canadian System that is not enforcing Canadian Immigration Law. I have been told by the RCMP that: my wife is an adult; she is free to decide; there is no such thing as a marriage commitment; there is no support for the sponsor; there are various supports for the sponsored; the sponsor should carry the burden of marriage fraud. Canadian system deceives the sponsor by providing an opportunity to the fraudulent sponsored people to enter Canada and then victimizing the Canadian citizens by supporting those criminals with tax payers' income.

Other countries, namely the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Germany and many others grant periods of conditional establishment to spouses of their nationals. The sponsorship agreement should be void and the sponsored person's visa should be void if there are sufficient evidences proving that the relationship has not been genuine and the sponsored person has married the sponsor only to immigrate to the sponsor's country.

canadamarriagefraud@gmail.com
http://canadamarriagefraud.blogspot.com/