Entering Canada Illegally Has Consequences
Yesterday, two Mexican citizens, Pablo Daniel Gonzalez and Miguel Aguilar Gonzalez, were sentenced to two years for entering Canada illegally.
Abandoned Border by mtsrs / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Yesterday, two Mexican citizens, Pablo Daniel Gonzalez and Miguel Aguilar Gonzalez, were sentenced to two years for entering Canada illegally. The men had entered Canada along the BC-Washington border near the city of Abottsford, in December 2012. The men have been charged with violating Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). A third man, a resident of Canada, was charged with aiding and abetting their violation of this act but he will not face trial until March. The sentencing reminds us all that there are strict penalties for trying to get around Canada’s immigration laws. The best thing to do is always to follow all laws and any instructions by CIC or CBSA personnel. These men could have avoided two year prison sentences by coming to Canada in a legal way. The ways you can come to Canada legally include:
- on a temporary work permit, if you have a job offer from a Canadian employer;
- on a temporary study permit, if you have been accepted to a Canadian educational institution;
- as a tourist or business visitor;
- through special provisions in NAFTA;
- on a working holiday visa, if you qualify;
- sponsored by your Canadian spouse or partner;
- through the ‘self-employed’ stream if you qualify;
- on a start-up visa if you have a great business idea;
- as a live-in caregiver;
- as a refugee, if you qualify;
- through one of the provincial nominee programs, which are designed to find workers provinces desperately need.’
