Amin Yousefijam, an Iranian national also known as Ameen Cohen, is challenging in Federal Court the Canadian government's rejection of his application to sponsor his mother's immigration, despite facing deportation over sanctions violations linked to Iran. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) denied the sponsorship application in 2025, citing unpaid fees, a claim Yousefijam disputes, calling it a "good-faith" error. He filed the sponsorship on August 18, 2025, six months after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) referred him to the Immigration and Refugee Board for deportation over national security concerns. The CBSA alleges Yousefijam participated in a scheme to send restricted technology to Iran, violating U.S. economic sanctions. He was arrested in Toronto in January 2021, extradited to Michigan, and later pleaded guilty before being deported back to Canada. While in the U.S., he legally changed his name to Ameen Cohen, stating the name "resonated with me." His brother Arash, who also changed his name to Cohen and worked as a dentist, had his licence revoked in 2024 after media reports exposed their criminal history. CBSA claims Yousefijam previously served as a deputy director general in Iran's Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, a position he downplayed during his hearing, saying he was a low-level technocrat with no authority. He claimed his guilty plea in the U.S. was a procedural choice, not an admission of wrongdoing. Yousefijam, currently living in Richmond Hill, Ont., is representing himself in the Federal Court case. IRCC declined to comment, noting the matter is before the court, but stated that permanent residents inadmissible on security or criminal grounds are generally ineligible to sponsor family members. A decision on his deportation is expected in the coming weeks.
When Amin Yousefijam says his guilty plea was not an admission of guilt, he is attempting to reframe a legal concession as a tactical necessity — but courts do not distinguish between the two. His effort to sponsor his mother while fighting deportation reveals a strategy to entrench familial ties in Canada despite being deemed a security threat. That he changed his name and settled into a new identity after a sanctions conviction underscores the gaps in how countries manage the reintegration of individuals with transnational legal baggage. This case is less about family reunification and more about the limits of second chances for those linked to sanctioned regimes.
