Both the inviter and invitee in this matter have committed a serious crime and I would not feel sorry to see either in jail.
For starters, we have the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act provisions:
Misrepresentation
127 No person shall knowingly
- (a) directly or indirectly misrepresent or withhold material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of this Act;
- (b) communicate, directly or indirectly, by any means, false or misleading information or declarations with intent to induce or deter immigration to Canada; or
- ...
Penalties
128 A person who contravenes a provision of section 126 or 127 is guilty of an offence and liable
- (a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine of not more than $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years, or to both; or
- (b) on summary conviction, to a fine of not more than $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years, or to both.
If that is not enough, we also have this Criminal Code provision:
368(1) Everyone commits an offence who, knowing or believing that a document is forged, (a) uses, deals with or acts on it as if it were genuine; (b) causes or attempts to cause any person to use, deal with or act on it as if it were genuine; (c) transfers, sells or offers to sell it or makes it available, to any person, knowing that or being reckless as to whether an offence will be committed under paragraph (a) or (b); or (d) possesses it with intent to commit an offence under any of paragraphs (a) to (c).
Here is a fair explanation of how s. 368 is applied:
https://www.criminal-code.ca/criminal-code-of-canada-section-368-1-use-trafficking-or-possession-of-forged-document/index.html
Section 368 should be read and understood in conjunction with the forgery provisions:
366. (1) Every one commits forgery who makes a false document, knowing it to be false, with intent
(a) that it should in any way be used or acted on as genuine, to the prejudice of any one whether within Canada or not; or
(b) that a person should be induced, by the belief that it is genuine, to do or to refrain from doing anything, whether within Canada or not.
Making false document
(2) Making a false document includes
(a) altering a genuine document in any material part;
(b) making a material addition to a genuine document or adding to it a false date, attestation, seal or other thing that is material; or
(c) making a material alteration in a genuine document by erasure, obliteration, removal or in any other way.
When forgery complete
(3) Forgery is complete as soon as a document is made with the knowledge and intent referred to in subsection (1), notwithstanding that the person who makes it does not intend that any particular person should use or act on it as genuine or be induced, by the belief that it is genuine, to do or refrain from doing anything.
Forgery complete though document incomplete
(4) Forgery is complete notwithstanding that the false document is incomplete or does not purport to be a document that is binding in law, if it is such as to indicate that it was intended to be acted on as genuine.
Here, the invitation to a non-existent wedding, extended by someone the TRV applicants did not even know, was, in law, a forgery. It was uttered with the intention that the IRCC would act on it, by granting a TRV. It was plainly intended to influence the outcome of the application, knowing it was a complete lie.
I am much offended by the conduct described here. My wife and I tried openly and honestly 3 times in 3 years to get her a TRV and were denied each time. One reason for that is because there is a surfeit of devious types out there who will lie, cheat and misrepresent to achieve what we were denied, while we paid meticulous observance to the rules. So, the IRCC tends to view many applications with a jaundiced eye and the cheaters make it harder for the honest people to succeed. Many of the cheaters come here, fully intending to overstay. They lie about their intention to return home. All of those hurt the honest applicants. It is insidious, criminal behaviour that should, in fact, be taken more seriously and punished accordingly.