Marriage Fraud and Marriages of Convenience

In order to uphold the integrity of the immigration system, the Government will continue to investigate allegations of marriage fraud. To report fraud, including marriage fraud, contact the Canada Border Services Agency Border Watch Toll-Free Line at 1-888-502-9060.

What to do if you’re in an abusive situation

In Canada, abuse is not tolerated. If you are a sponsored spouse or partner and are experiencing abuse or neglect by your sponsor or their family, you do not have to remain in that abusive situation. Find out how to get help.

Video Transcripts:

While many Canadians marry people from other countries, sometimes marriage is a scam to jump the immigration line. Learn about the consequences of marriage fraud and hear the stories of victims in this 5-minute video.

Victims are left ABANDONED.

A woman begins to speak as her silhouette appears on screen. She is shown from the shoulders and up, in minimal lighting, to ensure anonymity. Her face is in the shadows, the lighting highlights only her right shoulder.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: I met my husband in 2002 in the hotel in Cuba that I was visiting for a week.

Cut to a close-up of her hands as she continues to speak:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: In 2005, we were married. I sponsored him and he came to Canada in 2006.

Cut to another dimly lit silhouette. She is shot from the shoulders and up, her hair is softly highlighted with light and her face is completely dark. She is speaking in French and the following English subtitles appear as she is speaking:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 2: He and I met in a chat room.

Cut to a close-up of her nervously fidgeting with her fingers as she continues to speak:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 2: One thing led to another and I developed strong feelings for him. He seemed to share them; that’s what I thought.

Cut to a silhouette of a man wearing a turban and shown from the elbows up. His blue turban is highlighted with minimal lighting. His face is unrecognizable as it is completely darkened.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We knew each other a little bit. That’s why I trusted her.

Cut back to a close-up of the second woman’s hands. She is still nervously fidgeting as she continues to tell her story in French. The following subtitles appear and approximately midway, the image cuts to her silhouette. The contours of her hair are softly lit and the rest of the silhouette is darkened:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 2: His marriage proposal came very quickly, about three weeks later. I said yes.

Cut to the first woman. She is shot from the shoulders and up, and minimal lighting reflects only off of her right shoulder. She continues her story as follows:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: I didn’t find anything untoward before he came to Canada.

Cut to David Manicom appearing on the right side of the screen. He is fully lit in a studio setting. The background is black. He says the following:

DAVID MANICOM: Sometimes you have a Canadian or permanent resident who meets a foreign national, perhaps while they’re travelling or over the Internet, and becomes convinced it’s a genuine relationship, whereas in fact the foreign national is using the relationship merely to get into Canada. And you know, the sponsor has been tricked. In other situations, unfortunately, Canadians are part of the fraud. .

Cut to the man wearing a turban. His silhouette is lit the same way as previously and he continues his story as follows:

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: After marriage, everything changed, and after she arrived in Canada, I was nothing to her.

Cut to a close-up of the first woman’s hands. She nervously scratches her fingers as she speaks:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: When he left on the 24th of March in 2007, it all came crashing down.

Cut to her silhouette appearing on the right side of the screen. Her silhouette is lit in the same fashion; only her right shoulder is captured by light as she proceeds with her story:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: I felt that he had now accomplished what he set out to do. He had gotten his permanent residency. He had gotten his work card. He had gotten his health card. He was with his friends, and I realized then that this was all false.

Cut to the man wearing a blue turban. The lighting is the same as in his previous appearances on screen as he continues his interview:

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 2: After she left me, I filed a police complaint and police informed me after three days, like, she’s good in health and she’s found and… but they said, “She doesn’t want to come to you.”

The screen goes black as David Manicom begins to speak: