Canada charges five over alleged visa fraud involving Bangladesh applicants

Canadian authorities have charged five people over an alleged immigration fraud scheme involving 243 temporary resident visa applications for 209 Bangladesh nationals, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced Oct. 22.

Four accused appeared in court in Valleyfield, Quebec, that day. The fifth, Md Rakibul Hassan, was reportedly in Bangladesh, and an arrest warrant had been issued for him.

The CBSA alleges that fraudulent documents and false statements were used to support applications to visit Canadian citizens presented as hosts. Investigators focused on 79 applications with the strongest evidence.

The investigation followed a July 2024 inspection of a residence in Mercier, Quebec. Officers searched four locations in Quebec and Ontario in June 2025. The agency said the charges remained subject to court validation; the allegations have not established guilt.