Has your agent or representative promised a visa to you? Do their services guarantee a visa within weeks? Or that you will receive a visa upon payment? Chances are, someone is taking advantage of you.
It is a sad and unfortunate truth that fraudsters aim to take advantage of families looking to better their lives. Immigration can be complex, and there are individuals with sinister motives looking to prey on people like you. Remember, only authorized representatives can represent you on a Canadian immigration application, otherwise your application can be refused.
Our Canada By Choice Immigration team has personally worked with victims of fraud, and we want to make sure you have your fair, legitimate chance at immigration.
Red Flags – Identifying Fraud
Once you are familiar with the tactics used to scam people, identifying them can be easy. Here’s what to look for:
- No one can guarantee you a job or a visa to Canada.
Only immigration officers in Canada, at Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates can decide to issue a visa. Immigration consultants are not authorized to issue you a visa, however, they are eligible to represent you throughout the process and assist with a job search.
- The email is sent from a private address or a free Web mail address (e.g., Yahoo Mail, Hotmail or Gmail).
Consultants and Government workers will never send you an email through a personal/private email account. Typically, their email address will include the name of the firm they represent, and their website address will always begin with “https://.” This indicates that the webpage is secure (e.g.,https://canadabychoice.com/free-assessment/)
- Consultants should never:
- ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account
- ask you to transfer money through private money transfer service
- threaten you
How to Verify Credentials
Below are the steps to verify Marwan Zarif’s credentials, a certified consultant here at Canada By Choice Immigration. You may apply this to any consultant claiming to be certified:
Visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada (Canadian government website) at
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/representative/verify-rep.asp
When the page is loaded, click the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council a link located below “Find out if your representative is authorized.”
Then, on the page that appears, do the following:
- Click “Find an Immigration Professional” on the bottom left hand side of the screen
- Enter Surname: Zarif
- Enter 1st Name: Marwan
- Click on “Find“
- Marwan Zarif should appear on the bottom with the Consultant Identification number
If for any reason you are unable to access that page, do not take any chances. You may contact ICCRC, directly by email at: [email protected] and request that the consultant’s membership be confirmed.
Additional Research
It is also important to do individual research. We recommend Googling the consultant’s name as well as the firm they represent. News articles or interviews of the firm could help provide some idea of their services. Here are some examples of Marwan Zarif in the media:
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/canadian-immigration-firm-sees-boom-in-the-trump-era
https://twitter.com/OnTheMoneyCBC/status/880574313979445248
Every year hundreds of thousands of applications from authorized representatives are approved. Take our free online assessment at https://canadabychoice.com/free-assessment/ to see if you qualify, have a certified professional contact you today.
