The methods used by the 3,100 people charged with committing residency fraud to maintain a fictitious presence in Canada were many.

They sometimes leave elaborate paper trails to make it look like they live in the country, including getting their immigration agent, friends or family in Canada to use their credit card and do their banking. They also set up a local PO Box address and have fake membership cards for clubs and libraries.

They can do it because Canada does not always give people an exit stamp, particularly when they depart through the border to the US, so the authorities do not know how long they were outside the country when they arrive again.

According to Canada's Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister, Jason Kenney, criminal investigations have found that a family of five may pay upwards of 25,000 Canadian dollars (Dh94,000) over four or more years to create the illusion of Canadian residence.

newsdesk@thenational.ae