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Dear Bruce:  I need your advice. I came to Canada in 1985 from Nigeria and was living in Montreal. In 1991 I was ordered to leave the country because my refugee application was refused. So I moved to Toronto, where I have been living ever since. I have been a good citizen, never had any problems with the law and do work with a friends papers. I was even able to visit Nigeria twice with the friend’s papers. Bruce, is there a way for me to do my papers again? I love Canada and I want to stay here.
Signed, Fomi Olu

Dear Olu:  Sorry, you have not been a good citizen.  Both you and your friend have been breaking the law!  What you did in leaving the country on false documents and re-entering Canada on false documents is NOT what I would call “being good”.  However, you were not caught and I will leave it at that.  Don’t try it again!   You have lived in Canada almost twenty years.  You have not given me much information to go on but I assume you don’t have a criminal record (or, if you did, have received a Pardon), have integrated into Canadian Society and have made a contribution positively to this country. You are entitled to file a Humanitarian and Compassionate Application to ask that you be granted an exemption from filing in Nigeria and, if an H & C Officer decides, you may be
Allowed to remain in Canada, receive your Permanent Resident Card and go on to Citizenship.  There are many factors however that a Lawyer or a Member of CSIC would want to assess prior to giving you more of an indication of whether or not you would succeed.  I would recommend you seek that advice without delay.  Presently you are under a Deportation Order, and if you are caught, you could be removed to Nigeria rather quickly.   Good Luck!

Dear Bruce: While in Accra in the summer of 2001, my parents gave me a lady who had one child to marry, which I did. During the time that I was processing her sponsorship application, she requested that I include a 15-year old boy, who she claimed to be her older sister’s son. A few months ago I got to find out that the older child was hers. I therefore asked my parents to dissolve the marriage, since I could not trust her. But sadly for me, before I informed Canada Immigration that I was withdrawing the sponsorship, she had been given her landed papers together with the kids. However, she has come into Canada alone, staying in Ottawa, with the kids yet to come. Please advise me what to do. I have informed Canada Immigration to look out for the kids and refuse them entry. Can I also send the lady back if I am able to locate her?
Signed, Kofi Prince

Dear Kofi:  This month’s column seems to contain a lot of “you were bad” advice, and like Olu from Nigeria, the person who caused the problem was yourself.  You lied to Canada Immigration when you sponsored your wife, or at least you thought you lied.  Your wife told Immigration the truth that she had two children and all three were granted permanent Visa’s to Canada.  What has she done wrong?  I am assuming for the purpose of your letter that this was a bone fide marriage since you give me no cause to think otherwise.  There could be a serious penalty for you to pay in the future.  You say your wife is now in Ottawa and, if she was on welfare, you will NOT be able to sponsor another wife until you have repaid welfare and fulfilled your Sponsorship O obligations.  Unless you have left out something relevant, I don’t see why Immigration would stop the entry of these two children.  They are innocent and there mother is already here and, since she did not misrepresent herself, she is home free.  Koti, sorry about this, but you should not have participated in what you thought was fraud to deceive the very country you now live in.  There is an old saying “what goes around, come around” and you may be paying for this for a very, very long time.