Chandigarh: Canadian immigration authorities have issued a sharp warning against marriage fraud, telling foreign nationals and permanent residents they could face criminal charges if they enter unions purely to secure immigration benefits.
The alert follows a spike in “contract marriages” or “ticket marriages” reported from Punjab, where grooms’ families pay for a bride’s education, airfare and settlement costs on the promise she will later sponsor the husband’s move to Canada — only to sever contact after arriving.
Red Flags & Legal Risk
In a post on X, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) urged people to “Think carefully before marrying someone and sponsoring them to come to Canada, especially; if you’ve just met, the person wants to get married quickly, the person has been married or in a common-law relationship many times before, the person hasn’t shared much information about their background or family. Avoid scams and learn the rules for sponsoring a spouse.”
The department stressed that officers are trained to detect sham unions. “Our officers are trained to recognize genuine immigration applications. They know how to detect false marriages and false common-law or conjugal relationships. They have many ways to spot marriage fraud, including document checks and interviews with both sponsors and applicants. Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are in a relationship of convenience for immigration reasons may be charged with a crime,” it added.
IRCC also sought to reassure immigrants facing abuse. “You don’t have to stay in an abusive relationship to keep your status in Canada. You have the right to seek help. If you’re married, in a common-law or conjugal relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is abusive, you don’t need to live with them to keep your permanent resident status,” it read.
Punjab Police Cite Rising Complaints
Punjab Police say the typical script involves a groom who cannot clear IELTS or other eligibility hurdles finding a bride with strong scores or Canada ties. Her family then demands Rs 15–40 lakh (or more) for wedding, tuition and travel. Once the bride lands in Canada, calls stop and sponsorship is refused.
In February, two separate cheating cases were registered in Bathinda. In one, Gagandeep Garh alleged his wife Priya Garg took Rs 17 lakh for marriage expenses and another Rs 5 lakh for Canada travel, then cut contact after arrival. Police booked her and her parents under BNS sections 318(4) and 3(5).
In another case, Kuljeet Singh said his son’s wife Gagandeep Kaur refused to take him after reaching Canada despite the family spending about Rs 25 lakh. A case was filed against her and her father under BNS sections 318(4) and 61(2), as reported by The New Indian Express.
Racket, Repeat Cycles
Punjab Police say the usual modus operandi involves fraudsters advertising brides who either have strong IELTS scores or are already in Canada on student or work visas. Once the groom’s family pays — often Rs 15–40 lakh for airfare, tuition and wedding costs — the bride travels abroad and then stops communicating.
In some instances, women reportedly return to India in secret to marry again and repeat the cycle. Last year, police broke up an alleged ring operated by Sukhdarshan Kaur and her daughter Harpreet Kaur (Surrey, B.C.), who used staged video‑call engagements to defraud at least seven men of over Rs 1.60 crore before ghosting them.
Sukhdarshan Kaur was arrested along with two others; police said they used photographs and videos of Harpreet, who was in Canada on a student visa and later a work permit, to lure prospective grooms.
The advisory arrives as Ottawa tightens scrutiny of temporary residents and student visas to protect immigration integrity.