Two Chinese nationals with a previous connection to a Chinese organization that allegedly engaged in acts of espionage were denied permanent residency in Canada when their appeal was dismissed by the Federal Court on Jan. 19.
According to Justice Vanessa Rochester’s decision, the principal applicant, Yuxia Gao, and her spouse, Yong Zhang, were being sponsored by their daughter who is a naturalized citizen. However, a Canadian immigration officer in Hong Kong had deemed them inadmissible due to Zhang’s previous employment with the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO).