Imprisoned Lord Black to receive Canada visa

Former media mogul Lord Black's attempt to gain a Canada visa looks set to be a success, government officials say, despite him renouncing his citizenship in 2001 to join the House of Lords.

Canada visa

Lord Black's attempt to obtain a Canada visa has sparked debate

Lord Conrad Black was imprisoned in the US for fraud in 2007 but with his release imminent, he has attempted to gain a Canada visa in order to return to the country of his birth when he is released.

Despite being born in Canada, Lord Black was offered a peerage in the British House of Lords in 2001; in order to do so, he was forced to renounce his Canadian citizenship.

Immigration experts said yesterday Lord Black's application is unlikely to be successful although government sources have since hinted that the former media baron will be given a one year temporary residence permit.

The speculation has prompted outrage within Canadian politics with opposition leader Thomas Mulcair accusing the government of pandering to upper class, white collar criminals, saying it's "a clear case of a double standard".

However, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has dismissed the accusations, citing of the 10,000 foreign nationals granted a temporary residence permit each year, a recipient having a criminal conviction is not uncommon.

While Mr Kenney declined to comment on the specific case, he stated that there would be no political influence as to the outcome of Lord Black's visa, claiming the application would be handled solely by Canadian immigration officials.

The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people make their application to the Canadian Embassy.