Iran Confirms Speaker's Son's Application For Canadian Residence Refused

The Iranian government has finally admitted that the son of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, applied for residency in Canada, but had his application denied.

Mehdi Mohammadi, who works alongside Ghalibaf, responding to a tweet questioning Es'haq's desire to relocate to Canada, clarified on the X social network platform, "He has never gone to Canada nor was he planning to. Due to his father's affiliation with the Revolutionary Guards, his request for residency, aimed at reducing educational expenses, was rejected, and he has filed a complaint with the court."

Earlier, it came to light that Es’haq had been pursuing Canadian residency for five years, engaging legal assistance and even eliciting follow-ups from a Canadian lawmaker, Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party. According to court documents, Polivier's office had made "repeated inquiries" regarding the progress of Es'haq's application.

Following the circulation of reports online, two petitions surfaced urging the Canadian government to halt Es'haq's visa approval, citing his familial ties to a former top Revolutionary Guard commander.

In 2022, Es’haq sought judicial review of the processing time of his immigration application at a Canadian Federal Court, resulting in Justice John Norris ruling in favor of granting his application. However, with sanctions against a multitude of individuals affiliated with the IRGC now underway globally, including Canada, the application remains in question.