Canada is a beautiful country full of opportunities. That’s why so many people wish to immigrate to this North American nation. If you are one of them, you’ll be pleased to note that there are a number of ways you can successfully achieve your dreams. One of them involves having a migration agency or consultant assist you during the application process. By choosing a good agency, you and your loved ones will stand the best chance at a new life in Canada. But with the wrong one, you’ll only lose your money and end up frustrated and disappointed. So to avoid being conned, we have listed some of the things to look out for when choosing a Canada migration agency.
How to Tell if a Migration Agency is Legitimate or a Scam
Registration
The first thing you should do when looking for a Canada immigration consultant is to confirm whether they are registered and have a registration number. Canadian regulations require an immigration agency/consultant to be registered with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) in order to provide a paid visa or immigration service. The agency will only be registered and issued with a unique registration number after its officials have undergone and passed rigorous training on assisting visa applicants and passed the accompanying tests.
Standings with the ICCRC
Apart from checking if a consultant is registered or not, you should also find out if it is in good standings with the ICCRC. For a consultant to receive negative standing from this regulator, it may have failed to renew its registration, not paid their membership fees, or may have done something that goes against the ICCRC regulations. This means that the consultant is not legally allowed to provide paid visa or immigration services.
Please note that you will be required to provide the name of your consultant and registration number in your immigration or visa application so that their credentials can be checked by the Government. So make sure the one you choose is registered and is in good standings with the ICCRC to avoid any disappointments.
Other red flags to look out for are:
- Being asked for credit card details over the phone for payment.
- Being contacted via email by Canada migration agency that you didn’t contact. Chances are high that they may be scammers.
- Being guaranteed a job offer or a Canadian visa. Canadian visas are approved only by the Canadian government.
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