A Toronto man is facing 88 charges in connection with a months-long immigration fraud investigation.
Nageshwar Rao Yendamuri, a regulated immigration consultant, was charged at the end of a 14-month investigation into his conduct, the Canada Border Services Agency said in a statement Friday.
Yendamuri worked as a consultant with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, the national regulatory authority designated by the Government of Canada.
The ICCRC is meant to safeguard those who seek Canadian immigration advice and representation, the website says.
All immigration consultants -- working in Canada or abroad -- who provide Canadian immigration services for a fee must be registered with the ICCRC.
The CBSA said Yendamuri was arrested last week in Toronto, and is facing 44 charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for counsel misrepresentation and misrepresentation. He is also facing 44 charges under the Criminal Code for forgery and use of forged documents.
Yendamuri is accused of submitting multiple immigration applications on behalf of religious workers for temporary resident visas, visitor extensions and visitor status restoration. Border agents allege he supported the documents with forged and/or fabricated documents.
He is currently out on bail with a $100,000 bond and several conditions, including that he not have contact with any witnesses who will be called to testify against him, and that he not conduct any immigration-related work.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with more information, or details on any other suspicious cross-border activity, is asked to call the CBSA at 1-888-502-9060. All calls are confidential.
