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A Toronto immigration consultant has been charged with 88 counts for allegedly forging employment letters to obtain visas for religious workers, the Canada Border Services Agency said Friday.

Nageshwar Rao Yendamuri was arrested April 2 following a 14-month investigation. He was released on a $100,000 bond and ordered not to engage in employment related to immigration or citizenship.

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“Yendamuri is accused of submitting to Citizenship and Immigration Canada multiple immigration applications on behalf of religious workers for temporary resident visas, visitor extensions and visitor status restoration, supported by employment verification letters that he forged and/or fabricated,” the CBSA said.

Yendamuri’s lawyer, Peter Thorning, said his client “will not be making any comments at this time.”

A registered immigration consultant, he faces 44 charges of misrepresentation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act as well as another 44 criminal charges for forgery and using forged documents.

He remains on the registry of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council but Daniel Roukema, the director of communications, said the body would be launching an investigation.

“We will be conducting our own review,” he said, adding the regulatory agency was unaware of the CBSA investigation until it was announced. Citing confidentiality, he would not disclose whether Yendamuri had been the subject of complaints.

National Post

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