Canadian Immigration Fraud: What You Need to Know

Canada is known to many as the land of endless opportunities with vast landscapes and natural beauty. This has led millions around the world to dream of immigrating to Canada. Excitement has risen tenfold with the news that the Canadian government is seeking to admit close to half a million permanent residents each year till 2025. 

That statement alone has not only ignited curiosity from many but has become a popular tool by scammers who are using it to entice hopeful Canadian immigrants. So, what’s the truth and how do you avoid falling victim to Canadian immigration fraud? Read on to find out everything there is to know about immigration scams and how to avoid them.

Immigration Fraud in Canada

Immigration fraud or immigration scams can be in a variety of forms. Here are some of them:

• Scammers contact people by phone or email and offer them the opportunity to immigrate to Canada, only to defraud them later. 
• The promise of a work visa and the potential to immigrate to Canada is another way scammers attract people with false job offers.
• Unlicensed or dishonest immigration consultants working for shadow consulting organizations offer people bogus immigration services. 

Three different suspected Canadian immigration frauds were covered by CBC between November 14 and December 8, 2022. A Concordia University of Edmonton student who recently immigrated to Canada from Iran lost almost $11,000 to a phone scam targeting immigrants. Prospective immigrants to Canada must understand that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will never contact anyone by phone, email, mail, or in-person to obtain payment for fees or fines under the threat of deportation.

How to check for Canadian Immigration Fraud

There are numerous ways to check the legitimacy of Canadian immigration services.

Checking to see if an immigration website is a scam

Here are some of the ways to recognize an immigration scam website:

• A website may be a phony or a scam if you are required to pay to access application forms and guidance.
• It guarantees your entry into Canada or offers special immigration bargains.
• It’s only available in one language, and lacks the Canada.ca URL or a URL that ends in ".gc.ca." 
• Requires personal information, money, or a deposit before you can even begin the application process.

You can read more about our article about how to recognize a scam website.

Checking the Consultant’s License 

Membership in the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC)  is required for citizenship or immigration consultants. Anyone who claims to be a Canadian Immigration Consultant must show proof of registration to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. You can always check out if a person is registered here: Find an Immigration Consultant.

There is also a public register available to check for registered Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs). You can also check the Government of Canada website to see if the consultant is registered.

In Quebec, in addition to being registered by the College, consultants must also be registered on the Registre québécois des consultants en immigration (French only) and recognized by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).

How much do immigration consultants charge in Canada?

Depending on how complicated your case is, hiring a full-service Canadian immigration attorney could cost you between $2,500 and $5,000. For instance, your consultant's fee will be on the lower end of the scale if you are submitting your application for permanent residency through the Federal Skilled Worker program.

The rule of thumb is, never pay for information you can find freely on the internet. Most scammers will charge you for the information you can find for yourself on government websites. Some will start with a small fee but later demand thousands of dollars with threats that your file will be put on hold.

Bottom Line

Don’t let your dream to immigrate to Canada be derailed by fraudstersAlways be extra careful with the consultants you contact. It's always good to go with verified Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs). Above all, ensure you do your due diligence before sending money to online consultants.

Source: Unsplash