How to avoid visa consultancy scams

Guaranteed approval. A guaranteed processing date. An inside contact at an embassy. An offer to supply bank statements, employment letters, enrolment letters or experience certificates you do not genuinely hold.

The last one is not just a scam risk — submitting fabricated documents can result in a long-term ban from the destination country, and the consequences fall on you as the applicant, not on the agent.

Pay the registered business, never an individual's personal account. Insist on an invoice with a line-item breakdown. Avoid cash. Do not pay large sums up front for work spread over months without a written schedule.

Bookings made through VisaMarket produce an invoice and permanent order, booking, payment and receipt references, which gives you a documented trail in any dispute.

Match the trading name, the invoice and the bank account holder. Confirm the office address. Read the business's public reviews in full. If the consultancy is listed on VisaMarket, check its VMC reference on the public verification page to confirm the listing and its current verification status.

Collect everything in writing: receipts, chat and email history, the advertised offer and any documents provided to you. Raise a formal complaint with the business first, in writing, with a deadline.

For payments made through VisaMarket, report the consultant from the profile page and raise a dispute; platform refund and dispute terms are published in the Legal Centre. For payments made directly, your recourse runs through your bank or card issuer and the appropriate consumer or law-enforcement authority.