Interview: Canadian Visa Rules for Bangladeshi Army Officers

During a recent visit to Bangladesh, our lawyer Sakif Alam was interviewed by BD Opinion Juris to discuss an important issue in Canadian immigration law: why Bangladeshi army officers are often denied visas to Canada.

In the interview, Sakif examines the interaction between section 35 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the leading court decisions in Ezokola v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) and Singh v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration). He explains that while the legislation may appear broad on its face, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada have clarified that inadmissibility is not automatic.

Instead, Canadian visa officers should only refuse an application where there is specific evidence that the individual officer was personally involved in conduct that engages the legislation. Membership in the military alone is not sufficient.

The full interview can be found here.