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Immigration scammers are unfortunately more active than ever. From fraudulent immigration companies to individuals claiming to be travel or immigration consultants, they all have one thing in mind; taking advantage of trustworthy people with a dream of immigrating to Canada. Canadian visa scammers will lay traps with illegitimate immigration websites, but they will also stalk their victims, reaching out to people who have expressed interest in immigrating on social media platforms.
Know Who You Are Dealing With
There are a lot of companies and people who claim to be affiliated with the Canadian government, some even claim to be Registered Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC). Let’s clear this up right away. Other than yourself, the only person who can deal with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is an RCIC, and all RCIC’s must be registered and in good standing with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). You can check their standing by confirming their registration number on the ICCRC website.
Warning Signs
When you engage the services of an RCIC, the following must happen, if it doesn’t then they may not be legitimate:
- You sign a retainer agreement;
- the agreement must be between you and the RCIC, not a company; and
- the consultants identification number must be on the agreement. It must begin with the letter R and be followed by six digits eg. R123456.
- You will sign a Use of Representative Form (IMM5476), this is a government issued form and is a vital part of the process; and
- The RCIC will never ask you to sign blank forms or forms with false information.
If any of these red flags come up, and they simply try to explain it away, they are likely a fraud.
Unauthorized Representatives
Beware of travel agents, recruiters or educational agents that offer you immigration services. They may offer these services as part of a larger package or on their own, which can make it harder to tell whether it is fake or real. Always confirm their RCIC number if they claim to be able to expedite these services on your behalf.
Beware of Guarantees
No legitimate RCIC will give you guarantees on your application. Processing time varies and they may give you a timeline range, such as four to six months, but they will not promise you results by a certain date.
Be even more aware of a guaranteed job and immigration for a price. You have to find your own job offer. RCIC’s can only make recommendations on where to search for jobs and most importantly, a legitimate RCIC will never guarantee approval to your immigration application.
So, What Should You Do?
There are many scammers on the internet and sometimes it can be very difficult to the if an opportunity is fake or real, follow the golden rule: if it seems to be good to be true, it is. Then there are also legitimate ones which won’t fill your head with false promises, but can give you the tools to make your Canadian immigration application a positive and stress free process. At the end of the day you will need to look out for the warning signs and only go ahead with someone if you feel that they have your best interests at heart. By using our accredited Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) you will not only improve your chances of success in the visa application process, but you will get expert advice on which program is best for your specific needs. Our RCICs are highly qualified and are granted permission by the ICCRC to assist you with your eligibility evaluation, review all your documents and application forms and submit them to the Canadian government for you. Why take the chance of having your application denied because your forms are incorrect or sent in too late.
If you want to check your eligibility to apply for Canadian immigration, follow the link below
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