Fake job offers are one of the most common scams aimed at people who want to come to Canada. This article brings together the warning signs from IRCC.
Principles IRCC stresses
- No one can guarantee you a job or a Canadian visa.
- Only immigration officers in Canada and at Canadian missions abroad can decide to issue a visa.
- IRCC fees are the same everywhere and are paid online as explained on the official site.
Warning signs
- Promises of results or faster processing.
- Pay that is unusually high for the job: IRCC advises caution when a salary seems too good to be true.
- Requests to send money to a personal account, prepaid cards, Western Union, MoneyGram or gift cards.
- Contact from a free email address (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or social media by someone claiming to be a government official.
- Pressure to decide and pay immediately.
- Fees charged in exchange for a job offer or an LMIA "slot".
Check before you trust
- Look the employer up on its official website, business registries and maps; contact details should match the company name.
- Check IRCC's public list of non-compliant employers.
- If someone represents you, check that they are a member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) or a provincial law society.
- Don't send personal documents or your client ID (UCI) to anyone you haven't verified.
Under Vietnamese law
Law No. 69/2020/QH14 prohibits luring, enticing, promising, advertising or giving false information to deceive workers, and prohibits charging workers brokerage fees.
Reporting
IRCC advises reporting scams to your local police and following IRCC's "How to report scams, fraud or abuse" page. In Canada, you can also report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Note Honest representatives don't pressure you or guarantee outcomes. Only IRCC officials process applications.
Occupations by TEER category
Occupations excluded from C16
Finding a job yourself through Job Bank