Speculation ahead:
Their glow in the dark sham marriage fraud scam requires them to build up evidence of them spending time together in a way that people in a relationship do, insofar as that's possible for two people who live in different countries. For "normal" people that involves frequent visits seeing one another for a week here and there, maybe a few months at a time, using that quality time to farm dinner receipts, hotel bills, plane tickets and pictures together which they can hand over to immigration authorities to show that the relationship is not fraudulent.
Assuming they're legitimately married, their immigration case is solid. Them effectively living together, the couples channel, the "candid" selfies and constant documented interaction are far more than what most couples can provide.
With the hard part done, Salah now has to wait for her to build a case that she's planning on moving back to and living in Canada, as per Canadian Immigration regulations. You can sponsor a spouse while living overseas, but you must have concrete plans to live in Canada when your spouse becomes a permanent resident, any bankruptcies must also be discharged. << This could be the step they're currently at.
If they indeed have the finish line in sight it would explain the shameless turbo grifting, but the separation lies are an odd choice if their immigration proceeding are still ongoing, assuming their relationship status is still relevant to the process, perhaps Face Card only has to show intent to move back and needs the money to prepare for her and Salah's arrival.
Rule #1 makes it impossible to know for sure what's going on, I choose to believe she's still neck deep in debt, hiding this from Salah while promising residency and trying to keep him on as her perpetual rent boy. This while Salah is beginning to feel his power as a.. and may Allah forgive me for saying this, a conventionally attractive young man in his home country surrounded by supportive family. Three years is a long time to wait, to put your life on hold, especially if your plan (as Salah) is to ditch the pig as quickly as possible.
You know what's really funny though? If you're granted permanent residency in Canada on the basis of marriage, getting divorced are not grounds to have your permanent residency revoked. Great news for Salah right? Wrong. The sponsor can instead throw the beneficiary under the bus by at any time, Salah has no chance of getting to Canada AND being free of her.
Inshallah
