Indian-Canadian Charged With US Visa Criminal Fraud

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What does it take to run a Florida medical practice? Not a green card

Patty Ryan, Times Staff Writer

Monday, October 13, 2014 7:42pm

TAMPA Ophthalmologist Ashish Sanon, born in India and trained in Canada, did well for himself among the cataracts, glaucoma checks and drooping eyelids of Citrus County.

In the past five years, he billed $5 million, enough to keep up homes both on Clearwater Beach and at the Black Diamond Ranch golf course, records show.

His tale has all the markings of an American success story, except as the government reminded him this month he isn't an American. Nor does he have a green card.

He's in federal court, answering to a criminal charge of visa fraud, which could be followed by a deportation battle for a man whose wife, children and parents all live in Florida. One child was born here, a family attorney said.

Sanon, a naturalized citizen of Canada, has remained in the United States since 1998 by steadily renewing temporary visas granted under the North American Free Trade Agreement to doctors from Canada or Mexico who teach or do research.

Rest of the story here: http://tinyurl.com/n58u3h4