Visa scams: the signs, and where to report one

Seat 6AWhat a scam agent may do

Home Affairs lists the ways a scam agent may behave. A scam agent might:

• not know migration law
• give you wrong advice, or make promises that aren’t true
• try to take advantage of your situation
• take your money and never lodge the application
• tell you very little about your application or visa status
• put false documents or statements in your application
• not tell you whether, or when, the department has decided your application

The department adds a point that is easy to miss: checking a visa’s conditions is your responsibility as the applicant, even when another person filled in and lodged the application for you. VEVO shows the conditions of a visa once it is granted: see Gate 01: checking a visa with VEVO.

Seat 6BWho may lawfully help with a visa

Home Affairs says that in Australia it is illegal for a third party to give paid immigration assistance unless they are a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner, and that penalties apply. More broadly, Home Affairs says: “If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance, they must be: a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person.”

Migration agents are registered with the department’s Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority, OMARA. Home Affairs’ page on who can help with your application explains each of the three groups.

Seat 6CThe call that threatens deportation

Scamwatch describes threat scams in which scammers pretend to be from trusted organisations and say you must pay to stop something bad happening, threatening arrest or deportation if you don’t pay straight away. Its warning signs include:

• an unexpected call, message or email from someone claiming to be from a government department
• a claim that you owe money or are in trouble with the authorities, and a fee or fine to fix it
• a request for personal information such as your passport details or date of birth
• a claim that the police will come to arrest you if you don’t pay now
• a request to move money into an account to keep it safe, or for an investigation

Scamwatch has also warned the Chinese community in Australia about callers speaking Mandarin who, in Scamwatch’s words, “may pretend to be from a Chinese authority such as the police, a government or immigration official, or a parcel delivery service”, and claim the Australian Government will arrest or deport you because of a problem with your visa.

Seat 6DJob offers that ask for money first

Home Affairs’ warning includes scam agents who encourage people to come and work in Australia illegally. Scamwatch’s advice on job scams is to stop and check any offer that asks you to pay money to make money. Among its warning signs:

• a recruiter contacts you out of the blue, by text or on an encrypted messaging app
• the hiring is quick, with no interview or questions about your experience
• you must pay a recruitment fee, or for training materials, before you start

Scamwatch also warns against handing over a passport or other identity documents to any employer or recruiter until you are sure they are real. Home Affairs says everyone working in Australia has basic rights and protections at work, including minimum pay and conditions, and its workplace rights page explains them.

Seat 6EWhat is at stake

Home Affairs warns that taking part in immigration fraud through a scam agent puts a lot at risk. Its list: losing money, having your visa cancelled, being refused entry to Australia, being ineligible for future visas, being banned from returning, or being left stranded or sent home.

Seat 6FReporting it, and getting help

Scamwatch says being scammed can happen to anyone, and warns that people who have lost money are often targeted again, especially by someone offering to recover it. Its scam information is available in more than 20 languages on its in your language page.