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An American citizen has plead guilty for misrepresentation at the Canada-U.S. border. The man had stated that he was seeking entry in order to carry out essential work, when in reality, he wanted to visit his girlfriend who lives in Canada.

The man, whose name has been redacted, looked to enter Canada through the Lansdowne port of entry, and submitted an employment letter as proof to his claim.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers noticed inconsistencies with the employment letter, and upon further questioning, deduced that the man forged the document and was in fact seeking entry to visit his girlfriend.

He was then arrested and charged with trying to go around Canada’s travel and border restrictions, and attempting to enter Canada with the help of forged documents.

On December 8, he plead guilty to immigration misrepresentation in Brockville, Ontario. He was sentenced to a conditional discharge with 12 months of probation. This means that no punishment will occur unless the offence is committed again. Terms include a CAD $2,000 donation to Lanark and Leeds and Grenville Addictions and Mental Health Services.

“Our officers ensure that those who are granted entry into Canada are complying with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and current border restrictions,” said Stephanie Chenier, a CBSA Director in the Northern Ontario Region, “Intercepting those who misrepresent themselves is important to protecting the health and safety of Canadians as well as maintaining the integrity of our borders and immigration processes.”

In March 2020, Canada introduced travel and border restrictions in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. Travellers must be entering Canada for an essential reason. These restrictions are still in place.

Certain individuals are exempt from these travel restrictions, such as Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members, among others.

However, Canada is strongly discouraging residents of Canada from travelling for a non-essential reason such as for vacation. Prime minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that those who go on vacation or travel for a non-essential reason, will not be able to claim the CAD $1,000 sickness benefit to cover the cost of their quarantine period upon their return.

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