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Before you pay · Guide

How to choose a visa agency and spot a visa scam

Choose an agency you can check: one allowed to handle your kind of case, with a company name and street address you can verify, a written price that shows the official fee on its own line, and a receipt for every payment. Walk away from a guaranteed visa, a job that comes with the visa, payment without a contract or receipt, advice to lie on your forms, fees it won't break down, a missing licence or address, and websites that pose as the government. Each red flag below comes with what officials in the US, the UK, Canada, India and the UAE say about it.

By the Best Visa Agencies editorial teamUpdated We don't sell visas

Only visa officers decide. Australia, Canada and the UK, in a joint warning to applicants in India (2012): “Do not believe agents who say that they can, in exchange for money, influence how fast applications are processed or the final decision. They cannot. Visa decisions are made only by visa officers authorized by the respective country.” Australian High Commission, New Delhi, archived copy of 9 Jun 2026

What a good agency does: six checks before you pay

  1. It may handle your kind of caseWhere a country licenses immigration advice, the adviser is in the official register: the IAA's in the UK, the CICC's in Canada. In the US only an attorney or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice may give immigration advice.
  2. A company and an address you can checkIts legal name and a street address on its own website, matching the licence or register entry. In the UAE, look the company up in the National Economic Register.
  3. A written contract or fee letterWhat it will do, what it costs and how you pay, in writing, before you pay anything.
  4. The official fee on its own lineThe government's visa fee, any visa centre's charge and the agency's own fee, each shown separately.
  5. A receipt for every paymentPaid to the company, never in cash, by gift card or crypto, or into someone's personal account.
  6. No promises, nothing falseIt tells you the embassy decides, files only true documents and shows you everything it submits in your name.

Each check comes from the official warnings below. Country by country, with the registers step by step: how to check an immigration adviser in the UK, how to check an immigration consultant in Canada and how to check a visa agent in India. On our own list we looked up 31 UK listings in the IAA register and 68 Canadian listings in the CICC register; each listing shows what we found (how the licence check works).

Red flag 1: a “guaranteed” visa or a faster decision

What it looks like. “100% visa guarantee”, “guaranteed approval”, or an offer to speed your case up through contacts at the embassy, often for an extra fee or with documents the agent supplies.

Why it matters. Only the embassy, the consulate or the immigration authority decides; an agency can prepare and file your application, not approve it. A guarantee means the agent is selling something it can't deliver, and the documents that come with some of these offers get applications refused.

The official line

  • UK Visas and Immigration: be suspicious if “you are guaranteed a visa to enter the UK using documents they provide to support your application”. “Fake agents may say they can speed up the process of getting a visa and may ask for payment into a personal bank account for the progression of a visa application.” Of agents who offer visas on forged documents: “We have advanced methods of identifying forgeries and will refuse your application if you use them.” UKVI · read 1 Nov 2026
  • IRCC (Canada): “Don’t pay for offers of guaranteed entry into Canada or faster processing of your application. These claims are false.” IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026
  • USCIS (US): businesses that claim special connections to the government may promise a faster visa, Green Card or work permit for a fee. “Remember, only USCIS can determine whether to expedite processing.” USCIS · read 1 Nov 2026
  • Italian Consulate General, London (Schengen visas): even a complete file “does not guarantee the issuance of any particular visa”. Italian Consulate General, London · read 1 Nov 2026

Red flag 2: a job abroad that comes with the visa

What it looks like. A job offer sold together with a visa, for a fee; advice to travel on a tourist or visit visa and have it changed into a work visa later; social media ads for well-paid jobs abroad.

Why it matters. A work visa follows a real job offer from an employer. Working on a visit visa breaks the law of the country you go to, and an agent who recruits for jobs abroad needs a licence of its own in some countries, India among them.

The official line

  • UK Visas and Immigration: “a legitimate employer would never ask for payment to secure a visa.” “UKVI will never guarantee a job in the UK.” UKVI · read 1 Nov 2026
  • UAE government portal: “Visit or tourist entry permit/visa does not give you right to work in the UAE. Working under visit or tourist visa will result in fines and legal liability.” It adds that “the employer is responsible for payment of recruitment expenses as per the UAE’s Labour Law.” A real job offer comes with an offer letter issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), which you can check by its reference number on MOHRE's website. u.ae · read 1 Nov 2026
  • Ministry of External Affairs (India): to an agent who says you should go on a tourist visa and get it “converted into a work visa later”, the MEA's answer is “You can lodge a complaint with the office of the Protector General of Emigrants, providing details of your Recruiting Agent.” MEA · read 1 Nov 2026
  • Protectorate of Emigrants (India): “no agent or agency is permitted to recruit Indian citizens for overseas employment or advertise such opportunities through any print or electronic media without a valid license from the Ministry of External Affairs.” PIB (Protectorate of Emigrants) · read 1 Nov 2026
  • IRCC (Canada), on websites that pose as official: “Others may claim to offer special immigration deals or guaranteed high-paying jobs. They do this to trick people into paying them money.” IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026

Red flag 3: payment without a written contract or receipt

What it looks like. A price agreed by phone or chat, no contract or fee letter, a request for cash, a gift card, a money transfer or a deposit into someone's personal account, and no receipt in the company's name.

Why it matters. Paperwork is how you prove what you paid for and complain when the work isn't done. Cash and payments to personal accounts can't be traced, and the regulators in the UK and Canada expect written terms and signed receipts.

The official line

  • GOV.UK: a regulated adviser must give you a letter as soon as you hire them, saying what work they are doing for you, how much you'll be charged and how you'll pay; and “get a signed and dated receipt if you pay them any money”. GOV.UK · read 1 Nov 2026
  • IRCC (Canada): “make sure to get a written contract and read it carefully before you sign it”; it should list every service and the fee you agreed. “Any time you pay your representative, get a signed receipt”. IRCC, archived copy of 13 Sept 2026
  • UK Visas and Immigration: be suspicious of requests for cash, digital vouchers or money paid into an unknown bank account: “these methods do not allow the recipient to be traced”. UKVI · read 1 Nov 2026
  • FTC (US): “Never pay for immigration help with gift card, money transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency. You’re dealing with a scammer.” FTC · read 5 Nov 2026
  • Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism: “Consumers are also advised to verify product and service details, and document transactions.” Dubai DET, archived copy of 16 Jun 2026

Red flag 4: advice to lie, or to sign blank forms

What it looks like. The agent offers a job letter, bank statement or booking that isn't real, coaches you to give answers that aren't true, asks you to sign blank forms, or won't show you what it filed in your name.

Why it matters. The application is yours. A refusal, a ban or a permanent bar falls on you, not on the agent.

The official line

  • IRCC (Canada): beware of representatives who “advise you to lie on your application”. And “Don’t sign blank application forms”. IRCC: learn about representatives · IRCC: choose, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
  • FTC (US): “Don’t sign blank immigration forms, or forms that have false information about you or your situation. A dishonest notario, accountant, or consultant might ask you to do this.” FTC · read 5 Nov 2026
  • US Mission India: some consultants sell students fake financial packages or tell parents to lie at the interview; “applicants have been found permanently ineligible for visas because they provided false information during interviews.” US Mission India · read 1 Nov 2026
  • UK Visas and Immigration, to applicants in India (2016): “Fraudulent agents are known to submit falsified documents sometimes without an applicant’s knowledge.” “Make sure you know what documents your agent is submitting on your behalf.” The British High Commission, in 2026: “A person found committing visa fraud can receive a 10-year ban on travel to the UK.” GOV.UK news, 2016 · GOV.UK news, 2026 · read 1 Nov 2026

Red flag 5: fees far above the official fee, with no breakdown

What it looks like. One lump sum for “visa fees”, with no split between the government's fee, the visa centre's charge and the agency's own fee; charges for forms or appointments that are free.

Why it matters. The government publishes its fee, so the agency's own fee is the part you are really comparing. Without a breakdown you can't compare agencies, and an inflated “government fee” is hard to spot.

The official line

  • British High Commission, New Delhi: its “Visa Fraud Se Bache” campaign lists “being asked to pay exorbitant fees” among the common bogus claims. British High Commission · read 1 Nov 2026
  • UAE government portal: points to the official fees for visas issued in Dubai: “Learn more about the fees of visas and entry permits issued from Dubai, to avoid overpaying.” u.ae · read 1 Nov 2026
  • European Union (Schengen visas): the visa fee is €90 for adults; a visa centre may add a service fee, and “The service fee shall not exceed half of the amount of the visa fee” as a rule. “The applicant shall be given a receipt for the visa fee paid.” European Commission (read 1 Nov 2026) · EU Visa Code, archived copy of 30 Oct 2025
  • German Consulate General, Mumbai: imposters and local agents “pretend to ‘sell’ visas”; “ALL visa appointments are handled ONLY by VFS and at NO COST!” German Missions in India · read 1 Nov 2026
  • German Embassy, London: “it is NOT necessary to engage an agency to process your visa application or to file documents.” “The only fees to be paid during the application process are the service fee for our Service Provider TLS Contact and the visa fee.” German Embassy London · read 1 Nov 2026
  • USCIS and the FTC (US): “Do not pay for immigration forms.” “USCIS forms are free. If you have to pay to download government immigration forms, you’re not on a legitimate website.” USCIS · FTC · read 5 Nov 2026

Red flag 6: no licence or address where one is required

What it looks like. Only a phone number or a chat account, no company name or street address on the website, a “consultant” you can't find in the official register, or an office that doesn't match the licence.

Why it matters. Where a country licenses immigration advice, unlicensed help can be a crime and can sink your application. Without a real company behind the offer there is no one to complain about and no money to get back.

The official line

  • UK law: “No person may provide immigration advice or immigration services unless he is a qualified person.” Doing so is a criminal offence: on indictment, up to two years in prison, a fine, or both. GOV.UK: “You cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated.” legislation.gov.uk (section 84) · legislation.gov.uk (section 91) · GOV.UK · read 1 Nov 2026
  • IRCC (Canada): “We won’t deal with representatives who charge a fee but are not authorized. If you use an unauthorized representative, in Canada or abroad, we may return your application or refuse it.” IRCC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026
  • FTC (US): “In the United States only an immigration attorney or someone authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) can give you immigration advice.” Scammers call themselves notario, notary public, accountant or consultant. FTC · read 5 Nov 2026
  • UAE government portal: “Make sure that the company legally exists.” Search its English and Arabic name in the National Economic Register. And “refrain from paying or sending copies of your official documents until after you are 100 per cent sure the tour operator is genuine.” u.ae: tips to avoid labour and visa fraud · u.ae: tourist visa · read 1 Nov 2026
  • Dubai law: “A natural or legal person may conduct an Economic Activity in the Emirate only through a Business licensed by the DED.” Companies licensed in free zones fall outside this law. Dubai Legislation Portal · read 1 Nov 2026
  • Ministry of External Affairs (India), for jobs abroad: “Always deal with a registered Recruiting Agent.” Registration can be checked on eMigrate. For tourist or visit visas we found no official register of agents in India. MEA · read 1 Nov 2026

Red flag 7: a website, email or call that poses as the government

What it looks like. A site with a flag and “official” in its name that charges for a free form or an online travel authorisation, an email from a free webmail address, or a call asking you to pay.

Why it matters. Lookalike sites add their own charges to the government's fee and can collect your passport details. Governments take visa payments on their own websites or through their official visa centres.

The official line

  • UK Visas and Immigration: “Official UK government websites always have ‘.gov.uk’ at the end of their website address.” And “we will never ask for payment by email, at a visa application centre or into a personal bank account.” UKVI · read 1 Nov 2026
  • FTC (US): “Real U.S. government website addresses end with .gov.” Lookalike sites may use names such as U.S. Immigration and pictures of flags, charge for free forms and steal personal information. FTC · read 5 Nov 2026
  • IRCC (Canada): companies that offer to get you an eTA: “These companies are not working with the Government of Canada.” An email from a free webmail address rather than a gc.ca or Canada.ca account may be a scam. “We will never ask you for any sort of payment by telephone.” IRCC, archived copy of 31 Jul 2026
  • ICP (UAE): warns of “fraudulent attempts that misuse its name and logo through fake calls and counterfeit websites” and asks people to use only its official channels, such as its Smart Services Platform and the UAEICP app. GDRFA Dubai: “Do not enter your personal information on unofficial websites or applications, as these sites may be a source of manipulation or fraud.” ICP · GDRFA Dubai · read 1 Nov 2026

Where to check a licence, country by country

Who must be licensed or registered, and where to look them upFrom the official pages linked in each row. “On our list” is what we have checked ourselves so far.
WhereWho must be licensed or registeredCheck them inOn our list
United KingdomAnyone who gives UK immigration advice: an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), or a solicitor or barrister regulated by their own professional body. GOV.UK · legislation.gov.uk · read 1 Nov 2026IAA Adviser Registerby name or IAA numberSRA Solicitors Registersolicitors, England and WalesWe looked up 31 of our 59 UK listings in the IAA's published list (list of 9 Jul 2026): 25 are on it. 25 are solicitors' firms or agencies that list only visas for trips abroad, which we don't look up. 3 were added after the look-up. See which
CanadaAnyone paid to help with a Canadian immigration or citizenship application: a consultant licensed by the CICC and marked “Entitled to Practise: Yes”, or a lawyer, paralegal or Quebec notary. IRCC · CICC, archived copy of 10 Oct 2026CICC Public Registerby name, College ID or companyWe looked up 68 of our 78 Canadian listings in the register: 61 have a licensed consultant entitled to practise. 10 are lawyers or agencies that list only visas for trips abroad, which we don't look up. See which
United StatesHelp with US immigration (USCIS): an attorney, or an accredited representative of a recognized organization. California and New York also have their own laws on paid immigration help. USCIS: avoid scams (read 1 Nov 2026) · USCIS: legal services (read 1 Nov 2026) · California law, archived copy of 24 Jul 2026 · New York law, archived copy of 12 Jan 2026The state agency that licensed the attorneyUSCIS: ask to see the licence and verify it thereEOIR roster of accredited representativesCalifornia Immigration Consultant SearchWe don't look up US licences yet.
IndiaRecruiting agents for jobs abroad must be registered with the MEA. For tourist or visit visas we found no official register of agents. MEA · read 1 Nov 2026eMigraterecruiting agents onlyNo licence check: we found no register for visa agents. Why
United Arab EmiratesBusiness licences come from the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, each emirate's economic department, or the Fujairah and Dibba municipalities. Dubai's law allows business only through a licensed company, and leaves free-zone companies out. Licensed travel agents may arrange UAE tourist visas. u.ae: national economic register · Dubai Legislation Portal · u.ae: tourist visa · read 1 Nov 2026National Economic Registerby company nameAbu Dhabi licence enquiry (TAMM)by licence numberNot checked yet: the UAE registers need UAE Pass.
Schengen countriesA travel agency that lodges applications with a consulate needs that consulate's accreditation. EU Visa Code, archived copy of 30 Oct 2025The consulate's list of accredited agencies, where it publishes oneNot checked

Where to report a visa scam

  • United States: report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to your state consumer protection office (and the police if you lost money). FTC · USCIS · read 5 Nov 2026
  • United Kingdom: report fraud to Action Fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040 from the UK; report anyone giving immigration advice without being regulated to the IAA at info@immigrationadviceauthority.gov.uk. UKVI · GOV.UK · read 1 Nov 2026
  • Canada: online, phone and text scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, immigration fraud to the CBSA's Border Watch Line and fraud by a representative to IRCC, through its web form. IRCC: report fraud · IRCC: file complaint against representative, archived copy of 6 Oct 2026
  • India: agents who recruit for jobs abroad on the toll-free number 1800 11 3090 or on eMigrate; suspected US visa fraud by email to the fraud unit of the US Embassy or the consulate, for example NDCONSINQ@state.gov in New Delhi. PIB (Protectorate of Emigrants) · US Mission India · read 1 Nov 2026
  • United Arab Emirates: fraud and scams to your local police, such as Dubai Police or Abu Dhabi Police; online scams on the Dubai Police eCrime platform. u.ae · read 1 Nov 2026

How our list deals with these red flags

We list agencies that publish their contact details and the visas they handle on their own websites, take each fact from there with its link and date, and leave out offers that promise guaranteed visas or jobs abroad. We look agencies up in the official register in the UK (31 listings so far) and Canada (68); in the UAE, where the registers need UAE Pass, no agency has passed that check yet; in India we found no register of visa agents to check. Each list goes most verified first, which shows how much we could confirm, not how good an agency is, and partner placements are labelled. How our list works.

FAQ

How do I know if a visa agency is real?

Check that the company exists and may do your kind of case: in the UK in the IAA register (the SRA's for solicitors), in Canada in the CICC Public Register, in the UAE in the National Economic Register. Its legal name and street address on its own website should match the entry. The UAE government portal also says to make sure a travel agent is genuine before you pay or send copies of your documents. Then ask for a written contract and a receipt for every payment.

Can a visa agency guarantee a visa?

No. Only the embassy, the consulate or the immigration authority decides. IRCC says offers of guaranteed entry or faster processing are false; UK Visas and Immigration lists a guaranteed visa among the signs of fraud; USCIS says only USCIS can decide to speed up processing.

How much do visa agents charge?

Each agency sets its own fee, on top of the official visa fee and any visa centre's charge, so ask for all three in writing. A few governments fix or cap part of it: the EU caps a Schengen visa centre's service fee at half the visa fee, as a rule; Singapore's High Commission in New Delhi lets its authorised agents charge Rs 1,300 on top of the INR 2,100 visa fee; India caps a recruiting agent's charge for a job abroad at Rs 20,000 per emigrant.

Do I need a visa agency at all?

Often not. IRCC: “You don't need to hire a representative!” USCIS says you may file its forms and represent yourself. The German Embassy in London says it is not necessary to engage an agency for a Schengen visa. In the UAE you can apply for a tourist visa online with ICP or GDRFA Dubai, or through airlines, licensed travel agents or hotels. An agency can prepare and file your application; the decision stays with the authorities.

What should I do if a visa agent scammed me?

Keep the contract, receipts and messages, and report it where you live: in the US to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, in the UK to Action Fraud, in Canada to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, in the UAE to the police, and in India, an agent recruiting for jobs abroad on 1800 11 3090 or eMigrate. The sources are under “Where to report a visa scam” above.

How can I tell a fake visa website from the official one?

Official UK government websites end in .gov.uk, and US federal ones in .gov. Canada's eTA is applied for on the Government of Canada website; companies that offer to get one for you are not working with the government. In the UAE, ICP asks people to use only its official channels, such as its Smart Services Platform and the UAEICP app, and GDRFA Dubai warns against entering personal details on unofficial websites or apps.

Related

How to check an immigration adviser in the UKHow to check an immigration consultant in CanadaHow to check a visa agent in IndiaVisa agencies in Dubai24Visa agencies in Abu Dhabi7Visa agencies in Delhi8Visa agencies in Mumbai8Visa agencies in London15Visa agencies in Toronto11How our list worksEditorial policy

Sources. Pages of the FTC and USCIS; GOV.UK, UK Visas and Immigration, the IAA, legislation.gov.uk and the British High Commission in New Delhi; IRCC and the CICC; the Ministry of External Affairs and the Protectorate of Emigrants (via PIB); the UAE government portal, ICP, GDRFA Dubai, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Legislation Portal; the US Mission in India and the Australian and Singaporean High Commissions in New Delhi; the European Commission, the EU Visa Code, the German Embassy and the Italian Consulate General in London. Each is linked next to its fact with the day we read it, or the date of the archived copy where the official page blocked us. We don't sell visas and we aren't a government website. Report a change.