Canada's border agency has charged five individuals over an alleged immigration fraud scheme involving 209 Bangladeshi nationals and 243 temporary resident visa applications submitted across Quebec and Ontario.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the charges on 22 October 2026, saying the network allegedly used false statements and fraudulent documents to obtain temporary resident visas (TRVs) by incorrectly identifying Canadian citizens as hosts for applicants. Four of the accused — Rashel Mirza, Mohammed Aminul Islam, Md Mudassar Alam Bhuiyan and Kazi Nafeez Alam — appeared at the Valleyfield courthouse in Quebec on 22 October. The fifth accused, Md Rakibul Hassan, is reportedly in Bangladesh, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The investigation began after CBSA officers, accompanied by police and fire department personnel from the town of Mercier, Quebec, conducted a compliance and control check on occupants of a private residence on 3 July 2024. After identifying potential violations of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the agency opened a criminal investigation in August 2024. On 3 June 2025, CBSA criminal investigators executed four search warrants across Quebec and Ontario, collecting documents and computer equipment that linked the five individuals to the alleged scheme.
Given the scale and complexity of the alleged scheme, investigators focused their formal evidence on 79 of the 243 visa applications, which the CBSA described as the most probative. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the charges are subject to validation by the court.
The case lands in the middle of a sharp tightening of Canada's temporary immigration system. The Canadian government says the changes are necessary to reduce pressure on housing, public services and infrastructure, while addressing specific gaps in the labour market. Recent statistics indicate that new international student arrivals fell by 71% from January to August 2026 compared with the same period in 2024, prompting changes to the international student permit system.
A bigger change is coming within days. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on 16 October that Canada will introduce major changes to its Express Entry permanent residence system on 3 November 2026, restoring points for qualifying job offers and rewarding eligible Canadian work experience in designated high-wage occupations. The revised scoring system will award up to 150 points under a new Labour Market Integration factor, with the maximum depending on whether the candidate has an accompanying spouse or common-law partner. The changes will also remove Labour Market Impact Assessment requirements for certain qualifying job offers.
Candidates cannot combine points for Canadian work experience and a qualifying job offer. IRCC will calculate both options where applicable and award whichever produces the higher score. There is also an immediate administrative deadline: candidates seeking additional points through an eligible job offer must update their Express Entry profiles before 3 November. IRCC will then recalculate existing profiles, temporarily suspending invitation rounds for a period that could last up to two weeks.
The fraud case is not the only recent enforcement action. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, the CBSA opened 161 criminal investigations into suspected offences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In a separate case in August, the agency charged an individual who allegedly presented himself as an immigration consultant and facilitated illegal entries into Canada using falsified passports.
For applicants, the message from Ottawa is consistent: Canada still welcomes people through a system built on fairness and integrity, in the words of Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, but those who seek to circumvent the rules or exploit the system may face serious consequences, including criminal charges, fines, probation, imprisonment and a criminal record.
*Reporting based on the Canada Border Services Agency, TBS News and Travel and Tour World. The allegations against the five accused have not been proven in court.*