Filipiniana News – June 2010 RHYME & REASON Misrepresentation in the context of immigration law can be a tricky concept. Hence, many are often caught by surprise when told that they are inadmissible to Canada on this ground. They learn too late that some act or omission they were not completely aware of, or some seemingly innocent wrongful declaration could either result in a denial of their immigration application, or worse, the stripping of their permanent resident status. In Canadian immigration law, misrepresentation is defined as “directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of the act.” The words “directly or indirectly” imply that the act of misrepresentation may have been committed by the applicant/permanent resident or by other people. Since indirect misrepresentation still appears to be a largely misunderstood and prevale...