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Protect Yourself Against Immigration Fraud

February 9, 2021

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  • Robynn Farrell

Sadly, thousands of innocent people have been scammed or tricked by fraudulent websites claiming to offer Canadian immigration services. As one of the most desirable and welcoming countries to live in globally, offering benefits such as free healthcare and education, lucrative employment opportunities, and high quality of life, it's no wonder that these fraudulent websites are able to trick unsuspecting applicants into trusting them with their immigration needs. There are however ways to spot these websites to prevent being scammed and protect yourself from immigration fraud.

Things to Look Out for When Consulting an Immigration Service

 

1. Are They Authorized?

Authorised representatives are officials that have been approved by the Canadian Government to assist applicants with the visa application process. These include licensed immigration lawyers, consultants, notaries and paralegals (Ontario only), Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) and/or agents. These professionals are required to be licensed, meaning that they would have to be issued with RCIC numbers. In order to confirm authenticity, simply check that this license number has been registered on the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Councils registry and the Law Society of Upper Canada

2. Visas Are Not Guaranteed

The approval of your visa application will be determined by the Canadian Government only. No agency or immigration service can guarantee that your application will be successful. The main objective of paid services is to guide applicants through the immigration process, step by step, in a cost-effective and timeous manner. Bottom line, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

3. Is the Website Secure?

Secure websites will have a padlock icon before the URL in the browser window, indicating that the website has some form of secure encryption that helps to protect sensitive third party information.

4.Contact Information and Interaction

Avoid websites that offer no interaction or contact information. Also, avoid websites that have been referred via an email address that you do not recognize at all costs.

5. Terms and Conditions

Read the fine print carefully. Your personal information should be handled in a sensitive and professional manner and reasonable refund policy should be put in place. Always be aware of what you’re agreeing to before you sign up with any immigration service. If you have any doubt about the credibility of a Canadian immigration website, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is dedicated to assist any applicants who may have been targeted in an immigration scam.

Hire the Services of Licensed Professionals

 

Navigating the complex immigration system can be a debilitating experience and it can become extremely difficult to determine your eligibility without the help of an immigration professional like a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC). At MDCCanada, we have three licensed RCICs in our team with years of experience under their belt.

Jimmy Park (#R510391), Ying Liu (#R521924) and David Allon (#R513335) are dedicated to simplifying the complexities of Canadian immigration, which means that you can rest assured that your visa application is in knowledgeable and safe hands. They are driven by their personal experiences as Canadian immigrants themselves and are here to guide you through the process every step of the way. If you are interested in immigrating to Canada, they are the team to get there.

Your journey to Canada begins by completing our comprehensive online evaluation that will determine your eligibility of the over 70 different immigration programs and visas. Thereafter, you will be contacted by one of our RCICs, who will liaise with the Canadian Government on your behalf and assist you in applying for the chosen visa by ensuring that all submitted documents and forms are correct, complete and submitted on time. All you need to do is sign up with our services and allow us to start planning your personalized immigration strategy.