In a world where there are fraudulent calls made every day and cases of scams being reported with the cybercrime departments, there are calls about your immigration application that can sound real but are actually fraudulent calls and can cost you your immigration.
There have been many cases that have been reported regarding spam emails from individuals overseas who have paid huge sums of money to immigrate to Canada.
Before we get on to the scams and how you can avoid them let’s get to the base of understanding express entry.
Express Entry:
To understand Express Entry let’s know the two-step process. It is as follows
The first step: checking your eligibility for the following programs:
- Canadian Experience class
- Federal skilled worker
- Federal skilled trades program
There are a lot of candidates who qualify for at least one of the programs and many that Canada may consider for eligibility.
Second step: if found eligible for any of the three programs, the candidate can enter their details for the online profile. After submission, the CRS scores are calculated and the opportunity for immigrating to Canada is open. IRCC welcomes the highest-scoring candidates for an ITA for permanent residency.
Now that you know what is express entry and the two steps that follow it let’s get to the part of understanding the scams that are faced by common people and how you can avoid them in the future.
The scams
One of the most common scams of Express Entry is under the first process. Once all your information is submitted like
Age
- Education
- Language eligibility
- Work experience
The candidate gets some things like:
- Congratulations! You are eligible
- Congratulations! You are now qualified to immigrate to Canada.
But the fun fact here is that you haven’t qualified either you are eligible, at least not until you have scored the required score in your CRS profile, the score that Canada has set. Only the candidates who score according to the score that was set are invited to apply, without your CRS score there is no moving to Canada.
The candidates are asked to pay a huge amount of money for the submission of their profile, and the CRS scores are documented online. But the scores can be uploaded without even submitting a profile to the system and it would take 20- 30 minutes for an expert to check your eligibility and make a decision whether they should move ahead with your application and whether if there is any sense to pay.
Sometimes the candidates receive a document that reads “official proof” which is a print screen of the CRS ranking that is listed in the profile of the candidate and a letter from IRCC welcoming you to the pool. Even though these are official documents there is no way this claims that the candidate is immigrating to Canada. It is just a notification trying to tell that the documents are uploaded on the immigration portal.
CRS score for Express Entry
On May 13 during the round that was held the lowest CRS score was 413. In the history of Express Entry, there have been only some cases where scores below 420 have been accepted for issuing invitations to the candidates.
In a general round of the express entry that was held in 2018 for the Express Entry, the invitations were issued or candidates with a score of 439. Ever since 2018, the score has only seemed to go high, so make sure you check the core requirements before planning your stay in Canada.
The lowest that the score has gone to was 199 on May 26th, 2017 during a draw for the Express Entry under the Federal Skilled Trades program.
284 was the lowest score in the invitation round under the Federal Skilled Trades Program that selected applicants.
This means, that under some circumstances, you do not qualify for the federal skilled trades program you will have to score a 439 CRS score in order to be a PR in Canada.
You should consider applying if your points are somewhere between 425 and 439.
Now let’s say your score is 410-425 then you should definitely think about looking into PNP. You should also think before investing money into the Express Entry pool if your scores are like this, as the chances of receiving an ITA seem to be slim. In case you qualify for the.
- Canadian Experience class
- Federal skilled workers
but have a CRS score lower than 410 then there is no scope for you to receive an ITA
Note this, it’s important to know that the Express Entry is not constant and that it will keep changing, and there are no predictions as to when and also what the required CRS score will be. So, it advised you to go through the recent and past profiles and get a better idea of how to go forward with your profile.
If you suck between choosing the different programs, you can check with the Express Entry profile, the profile will guide you toward the program that is made for you.
Promise of provincial nominee
Candidates with CRS scores that are low in terms of applying for the programs are sometimes considered and given assurance by their agent, that the agent is keeping track of the profile and that they will submit it to the provincial program.
Now, this may seem true at the time and it actually is partially true, but it is used under false hope. It is creating a promise to the candidate that they will qualify for a provincial nomination. Each province has its own criteria and it is publicly available.
There is an exam that will show whether the candidate is likely to qualify for the program.
Increase your points with a job offer
A job offer in Canada automatically increases your chance of increasing your points. A job offer increases your points by 50 to 200, depending on the job you get. This is partially true; the truth is that it is difficult to get a job that is qualified.
A qualifying job offer necessarily doesn’t mean that you have someone waiting to hire you. This only means that you are an employee for an employer in Canada or you have an LMIA.
For an LMIA the employer must be hiring someone who qualifies for the job and has the skills required. The employee has to either be a citizen or a permanent resident. The employer might have to pay an amount to go ahead with the process. Even though it’s possible to get an LMIA, candidates have to know that this can only happen if there is a shortage of workers with the required skills in the country.
Protect yourself from fraud
Now that you know what is express Entry and how it works, let’s get down to the ways of how you can protect yourself from fraud.
Work with a licensed consultant.
Under Canadian law, it is illegal for anyone other than a licensed person who has the authority to represent your immigration. It is advised that you deal only with an authorized representative and not an assistant or staff member at the time your personal information is being evaluated for immigration.
Approved reps for Canadian migration are authorized specialists, Canadian attorneys, Quebec public accountants, or Ontario paralegals.
Qualifying for the program
An Authorized rep should hold a consultation prior to giving any advice since it is difficult to direct anybody except if the particular subtleties of their circumstance are investigated.
During the council, you should acquire a comprehension of what Canadian migration program you meet all requirements for, and you ought to see how/why you qualify. Most reps have an evaluation sheet that they use to figure out where you fit, and you ought to request a duplicate of the appraisal so you likewise comprehend.
Before you send money know your CRS score pe
Your CRS score will be calculated by your representative who should be authorized. If the representative you hired does not how to calculate the CRS score, then you should consider hiring another. Sometimes it is possible that an experienced representative may make predictions about your score and results.
The predictions made by your representative may be used to calculate your CRS score to get an estimate of your result so that it creates a clear picture of whether you need to spend money and time on the assessments. Usually when this kind of information is given, going for a paid consultation with someone of expertise as the initial step is considered pocket-friendly helpful, and beneficial for the cause.
Do you research
Provincial Nominee Programs have eligibility criteria available at the public level. The criteria are available online- so it is advised you read and go through the criteria for your own knowledge.
Cost for Express Entry eligibility.
A representative who is authorized will charge you around $175 to around $350 Canadian dollars. This should be enough for you when considering the fact of putting in money for your PR via the Express Entry. Now if you are being asked for more money than the amount listed above then it is advisable that you change your counselor as it could be just another fraud playing you. The so-called “free” assessments ought to be avoided as nothing in the world is free, everything has a hidden charge or agenda.
Victim of fraud: Here’s what you do
If you think you have been cheated or faced any online or offline fraud then here is what you have to do
Seek out a second opinion
If you feel that you have been cheated or you are caught in some kind of fraud, then it is advisable that you seek out a second opinion with another representative. Doing this will give you clarity on whether or not you are eligible or have been taken for granted.
Discuss your problems with your representative
Sometimes unknowingly we are put in situations where expert advice is needed, at this time you should always turn to the one person you know has your back. In this case, your representative who’s authorized. Consult him whether it is your application or any doubt regarding your profile
Lodge a documented complaint
When you face an online fraud or you are in a situation that can’t be avoided, you file a complaint. Right? So why stop here.
Whether you are facing an issue with your representative or you have been a victim of fraud. You have to report this to the higher authorities, even though at the time you will think that this is unnecessary. The ICCRC website and other Provincial Law Societies have the authority to help you and make sure that your issue is solved.
In case you are working with someone who is not recognized by the authorities, then your chance of receiving help might be a little difficult. A complaint with your local government authorities or cybercrime department will help in your case.
Leave an online complaint
In the world of the internet, whatever is said leaves a permanent mark, that cannot be ignored or deleted. Google is a powerful tool of the internet and not just for finding stuff but for leaving that permanent mark. If you face any online or offline fraud, then take to the internet. Make sure to tag the agency and the person you were dealing with and do not forget the pictures that can be considered as evidence.
Conclusion:
Now coming to an end to our blog, our only advice to you would be is be aware and be safe. Hoping this article left you with your questions and doubts answered. We hope you follow the rules and remember the points we made so that you are protected and are not a victim of fraud.
