A multitude of Canadian visa scams have popped up in the last few years. To the untrained eye, these companies could come off as legitimate, but we are going to give you some things to look out for to avoid getting scammed out of thousands of dollars while trying to make your way to Canada.
1: No Sign of Regulated Consultants
If a company claims to have a team of experts who are well equipped to handle your visa application but fails to make mention of who these people are, that’s a red flag. In addition, the team needs to consist of registered RCIC members and if this information is nowhere to be found, it’s a telling sign of a lack of legitimacy.
2:Trust Your Gut
This may sound cliche, but it is quite important to pay attention to that little voice that tells you something is not right. This usually comes when you feel pressure from the company you are dealing with to hand over your card details. A reputable company would never request your private banking details or passwords.
3:Poor Online Presence
What a company presents about itself online can be a telling sign of its credibility. If you look at their website, and it seems poorly put together or unprofessional, it is recommended that you have a closer look. Look out for broken links, poor content and a lack of essential online documentation such as a privacy policy or terms and conditions. In addition, the social media of a company can give you some telling information too. A legitimate company should be active with regards to posting and responding to comments and concerns from users. Have a look at the comments and see how and if the company responds. If there is a lack of response. This should be an indication that something is not right.
4:People Are Talking-and They Aren’t Saying Anything Good
A simple google search of the company you are dealing with will show you what other people are saying about the company. No company is going to only have positive reviews but if the negative comments outnumber the praises, you are likely dealing with a company that is either incapable or downright fraudulent. For a list of reviews of Canadian immigration companies see here.
What You Should Be Looking For in a Trustworthy Company
Now that you know what to look out for with regards to Canadian visa scams, it may be helpful to know how to recognize a credible company. A trustworthy immigration company is one that is regulated, and that is represented by a team of registered RCIC’s. In addition, the content on their website should be up-to-date and useful to potential applicants. It should clearly outline the services offered by the company as well as the presence of essential online documents like the privacy policy and terms and conditions. The social media of a reputable company will be regularly updated and have content that is relevant to immigration. A telltale of a trustworthy company is positive reviews online.
How We Can Help
Fraudulent companies are becoming increasingly talented at appearing to be legitimate, so it is difficult to differentiate between the two. At Canadian Visa Review, we have made it our mission to weed out the crooks from the legit. To assist you with a smooth visa application process assisted by a credible and regulated company, we have compiled a list of ten of the most trusted immigration companies in the world here.