From 2019 to 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported charging some 153 individuals with immigration consultant-related fraud, which sheds light on the problem of immigration fraud and other deceitful activities levelled against immigrants and newcomers.
As a foreign entrepreneur contemplating moving to Canada, it is crucial to be aware of the different fraudulent activities that may derail your immigration process.
Forms of Immigration Fraud
Fraudulent Immigration Consultant
- Overview: Individuals claiming to be immigration consultants with legal licenses and approval offer visa guarantees or speedy processing services at exorbitant fees.
- Risk: Dealing with these so-called representatives can result in application refusals and permanent barring from applying again.
- Prevention: Call or email the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) or the provincial or territorial law society to check the consultant’s authenticity.
Employment Scam
- Overview: Offers of employment for positions at Canadian companies come with requests for upfront payments, supposedly meant for securing job placement or processing fees.
- Risk: Money spent on immigrating to Canada may be wasted if the anticipated job proves not to exist upon arrival, leading to additional legal complications.
- Prevention: Always be weary of unsolicited job offers. Avoid paying for jobs and always confirm with the employer who is supposedly offering the job.
Phishing and Identity Fraud
- Overview: Scammers, posing as government representatives, contact individuals by calling or emailing them and asking for their personal information or payments while often threatening them with deportations or legal actions.
- Risk: Providing sensitive information can facilitate the theft of one’s identity as well as money loss.
- Prevention: Government agencies will never request any personal information or payment over the phone or through unexpected emails. Processing fees should be safely paid online through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. Report all fraudulent attempts to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Fake Investments Schemes
- Overview: Scams advertising fake investment opportunities in Canada often associated with various immigration options, especially the Start-Up Visa Program.
- Risk: Investors stand to lose significant funds and endanger their immigration status.
- Prevention: Understanding every aspect of an opportunistic investment offer is critical, and so is talking to a certified financial practitioner as well as a legal practitioner.
Protective Measures
- Check Professional Identification: Confirm that each immigration representative has the appropriate credentials from the governing body. For immigration consultants, it is the CICC; for lawyers, it is the relevant provincial or territorial law society.
- Maintain a healthy level of suspicion regarding guarantees: No respectable representative can promise you a 100% guarantee for a working visa or job permit in Canada.
- Restrict Personal Details: Personal and financial details should be restricted to only a select few people. Question every unsolicited request for such information.
- Check Trusted Websites: Use only governmental webpages and publications for anything related to immigration because those are the only sources which provide credible information.
As long as you remain alert and informed, it is possible to avoid scams and successfully build your company in Canada.
If you want to relocate to Canada through the Start-Up Visa Program, working with credible organisations such as Start-Up Visa Services guarantees that you will receive appropriate aid and advice while ensuring that your immigration representation is done legally.
Contact us directly for more information.
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