About 160 Hongkongers were denied work permits under a bespoke Canadian migration pathway between 2021 and 2024 due to fraudulent information, according to the country’s authorities.
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A spokesman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told the Post earlier this month that the Ottawa government was introducing new rules to penalise paid agents who broke the law while representing applicants, including fines of up to C$1.5 million (US$1.1 million) for advising clients to provide false information.
He also said that the Hong Kong applicants were refused open work permits under the scheme due to misrepresentation.
“Misrepresentation may include providing false declarations or documentation directly related to decisions made under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” he said.
“When an officer determines that an applicant has misrepresented a material fact relating to a relevant matter, they will generally refuse the application.”
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Permits are required as part of the bespoke settlement pathway launched in 2021 for Hong Kong residents after the national security law was imposed on the city by Beijing in June 2020.