How to spot a fake visa agent: 9 red flags

Most people who lose money to a fake visa agent are not careless. They are hopeful, they are in a hurry, and the agent sounds like he knows the system better than they do. The good news is that fake agents tend to make the same promises, and governments have written those promises down for us.

The two-minute test before you pay anyone

Before you send a single naira, ask the agent three things, in writing:

1. Who decides my visa? The only correct answer is the immigration authority of the country, for example UK Visas and Immigration or IRCC. Not the agent, not "my contact".
2. What exactly am I paying for, and to whom? Official visa fees are paid through official government websites and their commercial partners, never into a person's account.
3. What are you registered with, and what is your number? Then check it yourself on the register, not through a link they send.

If any answer is vague, stop there. If e no clear, ask again. If it is still not clear, walk away.

Red flags about money and promises

1. They guarantee your visa

GOV.UK lists "guaranteed visas" as a warning sign of fraud, and says UK Visas and Immigration never guarantees jobs either. No honest adviser can promise an outcome they do not control. They can only help you prepare a strong, truthful application.

2. They are selling you a certificate of sponsorship

This is the big one for UK work visas. A certificate of sponsorship (CoS) is, in the government's words, "an electronic record, not a physical document". Only a licensed employer can assign one. The employer pays the £525 fee for each worker certificate, and GOV.UK warns that a sponsor's licence may be revoked if it asks the worker to pay that fee or any costs linked to it.

Here is an illustrative example. Chinedu, a nurse assistant in Enugu, is told a care home CoS costs ₦8m, with half up front. Two things are wrong. First, nobody can lawfully sell him a CoS. Second, the UK closed the care worker visa route to new overseas recruitment from 22 July 2025, so an offer to sponsor a new care worker from abroad should make him very suspicious. Our cost guide shows what the real fees are and who pays each one.

3. They charge you "recruitment" or "LMIA" fees for Canada

Canada has the same principle. Employment and Social Development Canada says employers must make sure that neither they nor anyone recruiting for them charges or recovers recruitment fees from foreign workers, and it does not allow the employer's assessment fee to be recovered from the worker either. An agent who says "pay for your LMIA and the job is yours" is describing something the rules forbid.

4. They want cash, vouchers or a personal account

GOV.UK says scammers often ask for cash, digital vouchers, money transfer services or payment into unknown bank accounts because these "do not allow the recipient to be traced". UK visa officials will never ask for payment by email, at a visa application centre, or into a personal bank account.

5. They offer a shortcut

"I have a contact at the embassy." "You don't need IELTS." "I can make it faster." The UK government has named promises of jobs, no English test, and exorbitant fees as signs of a scam, and its fraud guidance warns about agents who sell faster processing. There is no back door. Japa through a back door usually ends with no visa and no money.

Red flags about paperwork and people

6. They will "arrange" your documents or proof of funds

Some agents offer bank statements, job letters or a "deposit" to show funds. GOV.UK warns about fake deposits for work and study visas and says the Home Office will refuse applications that use forgeries. The UK government also says a person found committing visa fraud could receive a 10-year ban on travel to the UK. The agent walks away. You carry the ban.

7. They won't show you what they submit

You sign the declaration on your application, so you are responsible for every page in it. Ask for a full copy of the form and every document before it goes in. An agent who refuses, or says "just sign here, I will fill the rest", is protecting himself, not you.

8. They are not on any register

Real advisers are listed somewhere you can check:

In the UK it is a criminal offence to give immigration advice in the UK without being qualified, punishable by a fine or prison. IRCC says paid consultants must be College members in good standing, and if they are not, you should not use them. In Australia, OMARA says that if a search returns no result for the person, they are not registered.

Many agents in Nigeria are not on any of these registers. That does not always mean they are criminals, but it means no regulator stands behind them if something goes wrong.

9. They rush you, or ask you to keep it secret

GOV.UK lists demands for "secrecy or immediate action", poorly designed websites with no organisation details, and requests to reply to free email accounts such as Gmail as warning signs. Official UK government websites end in ".gov.uk". "Slots are closing tonight" is a sales line, not an immigration rule.

How to check an adviser properly

Search the register yourself by typing the address into your browser. Match the name, the registration number and the business name. If the agent says a "partner" is registered, ask for the partner's details and contact that person directly. If you use an adviser from our advisers page, the same rule applies: check their registration yourself before you pay.

If you have already paid

Stop paying, even if they say one more fee will release everything. Then keep every receipt, chat and voice note.

• In Nigeria: GOV.UK says people overseas should report to their local authority. You can report to the police, and the EFCC accepts petitions about advance fee fraud. Check efcc.gov.ng for the current way to submit.
• In the UK: report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.
• Canada: IRCC directs scam reports to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you have an open application, you can also report the representative to IRCC.
• Australia: OMARA says unlawful immigration assistance can be reported through the Department of Home Affairs Border Watch online report.

Then tell friends and family. The same agent is usually working the same story on someone else.