Is taking immigration advice from friends worth it?

Advice, at times, can do more harm than good. Especially when the advice comes from someone who does not have the authority or the knowledge for the same.

Immigration is no different. While the right immigration advice from an authorised and genuine visa consultant might increase the chances of your visa being granted, the wrong advice might even get you banned from entering that country.

Taking serious note of the instances of such visa scams involving bad immigration advice, the Australian government has come out with an advisory addressing the issue.

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs lists 5 common visa scams that are targeted at Australian immigration. These include –

• Being tricked by official-looking fake websites,
• Either getting insufficient help or wrong guidance from an unregistered agent,
• Online romance scams,
• Fraud Australia immigration agents taking money from the applicant for lodging the application and making off with the payment, without any application being submitted on their behalf, and
• Listening to bad advice.

As per the Department of Home Affairs, there have been reported instances wherein someone – acting on the advice of a well-meaning friend or acquaintance – had knowingly submitted false documents.

On discovery by the visa officer that the submitted documents were false, the visa of such an applicant is cancelled. To cite one situation out of the many reported, the individual – in Australia at the time of the discovery of document forgery – had to bear consequences in the form of having to leave Australia at once and not being allowed to return to the country for a minimum of 3 years.

Immigration is an intricate process that can have far-reaching consequences if not done the right way.

If you think you require professional assistance, it is advisable to seek out certified and registered visa consultants that can steer you in the right direction.

With the right guidance and mentorship, you can avoid the common pitfalls and roadblocks that can lead to a visa rejection.

Do keep in mind that no one can guarantee you a visa as it is the prerogative of the concerned government to either grant or withhold the visa to any applicant. All that you can hope to achieve with the right immigration advice is to increase the chances of your visa being granted, while minimizing the probability of a rejection.

If you are looking to Migrate, Work, Invest, Visit, or Study Overseas, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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Australia immigration and common scams