Australian High Commission
Bangladesh
Bangladesh

Stay safe from visa scams

Stay safe from visa scams

 

STAY INFORMED. YOUR VISA, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

Protect yourself from visa scams and false promises.

Every day, Bangladeshis fall victim to scams claiming to offer “easy” ways into Australia to live and work. Don’t get scammed – you will lose a lot of money and not get a visa.

Most people don’t realise they have been scammed until it’s too late.

The information here is to protect you and your family.

Whether you plan to use a visa agent or apply yourself, find out what you need to know before applying for an Australian visa.

 Your Australian visa is your responsibility

ImmiAccount is the official Australian Department of Home Affairs immigration portal for applying for an Australian visa – including by migration agents. Learn more about ImmiAccount.

Never let someone apply for a visa on your behalf without making sure all the information in the application is true and accurate. If you are involved in a visa scam (even if you didn’t know it) you may not be granted future Australian visas or visas to other countries.

Only use official Australian Government sources when looking at what visa to apply for. Visit the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

Travelling to Australia without a valid visa is illegal. If you travel to Australia to work but you don’t have a valid work visa, you will be refused entry and returned to the country you most recently departed.

Stay alert to visa scams

Scam agents often pretend to be legitimate migration professionals and encourage people to come and work in Australia illegally. They charge high fees and submit applications with false information and documents. This can lead to large fines, jail time and removal from Australia for the visa holder.

Many scam agents are providing misleading information about biometrics letters. Learn more about biometrics letters.

Top 10 ways to spot a visa scam

  1. The agent guarantees an Australian visa. (No one can guarantee this.)
  2. The agent asks you to send money through private transfers or personal bank accounts.
  3. The agent asks for extra payment to “speed up” your biometrics.
  4. The agent tells you the biometrics letter is the last step before getting a visa.
  5. The agent tells you to provide false information at your biometrics appointment.
  6. The agent refuses to let you check your visa application in ImmiAccount – the Australian Department of Home Affairs immigration portal and the only official website to use when applying for an Australian visa.
  7. Your personal details (name, date of birth, passport, citizenship) or the type of visa you thought you’d applied for are wrong when you check them in ImmiAccount.
  8. The visa type on your biometrics letter doesn’t match the information in ImmiAccount.
  9. Your agent gives you a visa grant letter, but when you check ImmiAccount, it says the visa has been refused.
  10. The agent suggests you take an unusual or suspicious travel route to Australia that avoids common connection hubs like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Hong Kong.

Learn more about how to avoid visa scams.

Be careful of scam agent websites

Scam agents are sophisticated. Many have websites, email addresses and social media pages that look legitimate. Here are some signs that a website or email address might be a scam:

  • The agent’s website asks you to enter your passport number.
  • Links on the website don’t work.
  • The only contact on the site is a WhatsApp number.
  • Emails claiming to be from the Australian Department of Home Affairs are sent from free email accounts like Gmail or Hotmail. (Legitimate Home Affairs emails will have an address that ends with @homeaffairs.gov.au.)

Registered migration agents

There are Australian registered migration agents working in Bangladesh. These agents are subject to the same Code of Conduct, professional development and regulations as registered migration agents based in Australia. You can find a list of registered agents at the Office of Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) website.

Protect your community and report scam agents

Report scam agents, and suspicious online migration ads and websites. Tell the local police and make an anonymous report to Australia’s Border Watch Online Report.

You can also phone the Australian Department of Home Affairs Global Call Centre.

If you or someone you know has been scammed, warn your friends, family and others in your community. Send them the link to this webpage.