An Indian immigration agent was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of immigration offenses in Vancouver court. As per reports, the agent was involved in cheating Indian students into obtaining Canadian visas by issuing fake college admissions. Canadian media reports say that, Brijesh Mishra (37) was arrested after a Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) investigation linked him to dozens of fake acceptance letters to Canadian colleges and universities from India between 2016 and 2020.
Dressed in a red jumpsuit, Mishra stood inside a Vancouver courthouse Wednesday to apologize for a series of Canadian immigration offenses. Mishra pleaded guilty to three charges related to Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, including making false statements and communicating false information, according to a media report.
"I'm sorry," he said in court. "I can't change the past, but I can make sure I don't repeat it in the future.” Mishra was arrested in Surrey, British Columbia in June 2023. He had entered Canada on a tourist visa, which had expired at the time of his arrest.
The judge agreed to a joint sentencing request seeking three years in prison issued by crown and defense lawyers. Mishra's time spent in custody after his 2023 arrest counts as time served, meaning he will serve an additional 19 months. A media channel quoted Mishra's defense lawyer Gagan Nahal as saying, “Twelve victims have come forward during CBSA's investigation. After serving his sentence in Canada, Mishra is expected to be extradited to India, where he will face other criminal charges, including human trafficking.”
The maximum penalty for that crime is death. None of the victims or their family members were present in the court. Federal Crown Prosecutor Molly Green declined to comment on the case.