A Richmond man planned to help at least 165 people obtain Canadian citizenship by committing fraud, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.

Charges related to immigration fraud have been laid against Xun Wang, who is alleged to have been involved in a "significant" immigration scheme, said border officials.

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Wang is said to have lied about the applicants' residency status by creating a fictitious appearance of permanent residency, a precursor to citizenship.

CBSA released a statement concerning the case on Thursday:

"The CBSA’s Criminal Investigations Section conducted a lengthy investigation into the activities of Wang’s two unlicensed immigration consulting businesses, which offered services in Metro Vancouver. During the execution of search warrants, CBSA investigators discovered a complex immigration fraud scheme. Wang has been charged with six Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) offences and four Criminal Code offences, including allegations of advising foreign nationals to provide misleading and untruthful statements on their permanent resident card renewal applications, forgery and fraud."

Wang is also charged with one count of tax evasion and two counts of fraudulently obtaining refunds or credits under the Income Tax Act.

CBSA worked in conjunction with the Canada Revenue Agency to nab Wang on the charges.

“Immigration fraud is a criminal offence in Canada and damages the integrity of our immigration system. The CBSA takes this issue very seriously and works closely to identify, investigate, and prosecute those engaging in immigration fraud to the full extent of the law.” stated CBSA's chief of investigations Doug Mossey.

The CBSA said it is "responsible for investigating cases of alleged contravention of the IRPA, including immigration consultant fraud, residency fraud, misrepresentation, marriages of convenience and employing foreign nationals without authorization."

@WestcoastWood

gwood@richmond-news.com