How to Tell if an Immigration Consultant is a Scam?

Many immigrants to Canada face a tough choice. Process their documentation on their own or seek the assistance of an immigration counsellor or agency?

Unfortunately, some of these agencies or agents are only claiming to be helpful. This article will assist you in recognizing the warning signs of a scam immigration counsellor or agency.

Signs of a Fake Immigration Consultant

Looking for a way to tell if your immigration consultant is a scam? Here are the top things to look out for:

1. Guarantee of a Canadian visa

As much as we would like it to be, nothing in life is guaranteed. No one can promise you that your visa will be accepted as the final decision is under the control of the Canadian government. Several things can influence the outcome of your application, ranging from failing to submit a document to your visa’s requirements being changed at the last minute.

2. Guarantee of a job in Canada

You will not be able to receive a genuine job offer until you go through an interview process. In some circumstances, a phoney immigration adviser would guarantee a job offer in exchange for a fee. Most Canadian jurisdictions consider this to be illegal. A worker must meet certain requirements in order to apply for a work visa. An employment offer letter, a contract, a copy of the LMIA, and the LMIA number are all required documents.

A title that sounds good but is not registered with the ICCRC (Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council) Many times an immigration advisor will submit applications on your behalf. In order to legally do so, they must be immigration lawyers in Canada or citizenship or immigration consultants that belong to the ICCRC.

3. Paying for access to application forms or guides

The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) charges to process your application. That is a set fee and you can find the amount, as well as all Canadian immigration forms for free on the government’s official website

4. Wrong website address while pretending to be a Government of Canada website

Although the website appears to be an official Government of Canada site, a sign of fraud is that it is only available in one language and lacks the Canada.ca URL or a URL ending in “.gc.ca.”

5. You were sent an email from a stranger that you didn’t ask for

If you are sent an email out of the blue when you have not asked for information on Canadian immigration, it’s likely this email and the person behind it are not to be trusted.

6. The Website does not display a padlock in the address bar for security

Look in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. Does the website address have a padlock icon? All secure websites show this. If you enter personal, sensitive info on an insecure website hackers can steal your identity or financial information.

7. Phone number area code does not match the office location

A professional immigration service will never have a phone number registered in a location or country other than where its offices are located. For example, if you see a company’s head office is in Toronto, but the phone number area code is for Pakistan, this should strike you as odd.

Why should I use a real immigration consultant, anyway?

With a long list of forms and documents to fill out and strict deadlines to meet, it's understandable that you're nervous about starting the Canadian visa process.

Immigrant consultants (real ones, that is) take the stress and hassle out of the process. They can assess your eligibility, go over all of your paperwork, and fill out and send in forms on your behalf.

How can you find authorized Canadian immigration consultants?

The Regulatory Council of Immigration Consultants of Canada is the body that governs immigration consultants in Canada. Find out if you are dealing with a licensed Canadian immigration specialist by contacting the council.

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