Red flags parents must not miss when students chase foreign dreams

While choosing to go via an agent, one needs to check, verify and ask the agents about their credentials along with their company's

New Delhi: “My only request is to please let our children stay in Canada. They are not at fault,” said Sarabjit Kaur, a helpless mother on the verge of tears, as she got the news of her son and hundreds of others facing deportation.

It was not just the 700 students in Canada who went through the mental agony of being caught in a fake admission letter racket but also their parents who spent their life savings and many a sleepless night worrying, praying for their children’s bright future.

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Unfortunately, parents and students from India, with most choosing the UK, US and Canada as preferred educational destinations, often fall prey to fraudulent visa agents or recruiters whose sole purpose is to extract money.

While Sarabjit and fellow parents blamed the education consultants for duping them with fake admission letters, there are a number of red flags that each parent with dreams of foreign education for their children, must look out for.

This is because visa fraud and deportation remain on the student’s immigration record, making them ineligible for any visa in the future, according to immigration experts.

They add that the best way to go about the procedure is to steer one’s own application process by applying directly on the college website where all rules and visa fees are stated clearly.

But while choosing to go via an agent, one needs to check, verify and ask the agents about their credentials along with their company’s; how long they have been in this business; the number of successful cases they have processed.

This includes checking the reviews, testimonials, and ratings of the agency before hiring them for services.

Submitting fake academic or bank documents to the embassy and/or college and sending students to non-recognised universities are some of the most common types of fraud committed by fake agents.

The tell-tale signs of a fake agent

Academic queries – According to immigration consultant Y-Axis, if your agent is more committed to building a rosy picture of your future abroad rather than talking about SAT-GPA, in all probability you have run into a fake agent. Ask him to explain things like accreditation, course credits, academic calendar, practical training opportunities, etc.

Lofty claims – Fake visa agents assure you of a three-year work permit on graduation, which would let you stay on and work in Canada, applying for a permanent residency in due course of time. They also mislead students by saying that they are a representative of an established study abroad consultant/agent.

A talking shop – According to Harjiv Singh, Founder of Salwan Media Ventures, if the agent talks more than he listens, he is incompetent. He doesn’t listen as he is focused on his own agenda, which is to make money.

Admission/visa guaranteed – an immigration consultant is not authorised to make any commitment on behalf of the educational institution abroad. Also an agent cannot guarantee an assured visa in exchange for money. No agent can coerce the embassy to issue a visa.

Contradictory claims – There are times when there is a difference between what the agent claims and what the official university website says. For instance, it is a major red flag if an agent says that a student can just work without attending classes, while the university website and the official embassy have different rules regarding work-while-study.

According to immigration experts, most agents misguide about fees. The agents offer to deposit ‘Application fee’ in five universities, but end up depositing it in only two-three universities.

Checklist for parents:
* The university/college the ward is applying to is legit
* Validity or accreditation of the course the students are applying to
* Valid visa degree upon completion of the course
* Getting the documents in order
* Self-verification of documents rather than blindly trusting agents