Canada warns visa applicants against fake lottery

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is warning people not to fall for scams that promise guaranteed immigration results or special selection programs.

In a public advisory on its X handle on Saturday, the department stressed that no lottery, shortcut, or secret program exists that can guarantee anyone will be selected to immigrate to Canada.

IRCC added that no individual or organisation can promise faster processing, priority treatment, or approval of an immigration application.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” the advisory states.

IRCC urged applicants to protect themselves by taking three key steps:

Obtain information about immigration programs only from official Government of Canada sources, be wary of anyone asking for money in exchange for a guaranteed result, and never make payments or provide personal information unless using an official IRCC platform.

The department noted that scammers frequently target people through social media, emails, and phone calls with false claims of special programs or expedited services in return for fees.

Only authorized IRCC officers can decide immigration applications, and decisions are based solely on eligibility criteria.

“Applicants are advised to verify all information on the official Canada.ca website and to report any suspicious offers,” IRCC added.