Abbotsford murder: victims' daughters fault student-visa enforcement

Three men — Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor — were found guilty in May 2026 of the first-degree murder of Arnold and Joanne De Jong, an elderly couple killed in a home invasion at their Abbotsford, British Columbia home in May 2022. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years, and sentencing proceedings followed the verdict.

During and after the trial, the couple's daughters spoke publicly about the immigration status of the men convicted. Court heard that two of the three were in Canada on international student visas, and that at least one never attended classes at the college he was supposed to enrol in. The daughters argued that if student-visa conditions had been enforced, the men could have lost their status and been removed from Canada before the crime occurred. These are the views of grieving family members criticizing how visa compliance is monitored — not a government announcement.

To be clear about what did and did not happen: there was no new immigration rule, policy or measure announced in connection with this case, and nothing "took effect immediately." This is a criminal case and the family's reaction to it, not a change to Canadian immigration law.

For context, international students in Canada are generally required to be enrolled at a designated learning institution and to actively pursue their studies. Institutions report on enrolment, and failing to comply with study-permit conditions can, in principle, lead to loss of status and removal. How consistently those conditions are monitored has been a subject of public debate, but no specific reform has been confirmed as arising from this case.

This is general information, not legal advice — for your situation, consult an authorized immigration representative.