Exploring the immigration process of the United States is filled with plenty of challenges, especially for those who are learning the English language. The anxiety of trying to decide whether you will exactly qualify for the green card or some other visa, lead candidates looking for various alternatives.
In the search of these alternative information sources and the fear of lingering or something to be missed out in the application form, routed individuals to the wrong direction of obtaining the visa or green card.
Well, you are not alone! There are thousands of people across the globe trying to look for alternatives. But, it is advisable that you should always go for the fair option of obtaining the visa and green cards. The strict eligibility criteria are now relaxed keeping in mind about the welfare of the immigrants.
In this post, we are going to discuss a few points that you should take care of while applying for the visa to remain safe from the immigration scammers.
Spotting the immigration scams- Fraudulent Notices sent on behalf of ICE or Customs Enforcement
Immigration scam can take several forms. In some of the cases, you may even receive a direct phone call from the scam company claiming to be an immigration official. He will query you about your problems regarding the immigration records and ask for a fee to resolve the issue. Again, according to some of the reports, the scam artist will visit your doorstep purporting to be from the ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He will threaten to report your as well as provide you with a warrant. Web scam has also become common nowadays, where, you will be notified with an email about winning a visa lottery. Then, you will get emails regarding fees deposition for collecting the lottery prize. Lastly, it’s also quite possible that you land upon a fake website and tries to fill up the immigration paperwork through it, which looks legitimate at first glance.
The scam concepts can vary time and again, but the goal is to cheat your money and personal information. The latter option can be further misused for achieving some bigger goals. The following tips can actually help you to spot and understand immigration scams:
No question of extra fees- Immigration would never ask for any extra fee
If an individual proposes a way that seems to be questionable, make sure that you verify everything before making any payment. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement will never ask you to pay extra fees because that is considered as a violation of immigration rules.
Keep all the documents and paperwork- Short Cuts are exploited by Immigration Agents to Scam You
At times, it becomes very difficult to manage the paperwork and documents, but you need to be white careful when dealing with immigration services. Make sure that you create a folder or file to store all the copies of the documents related to your immigration status, especially those that show government correspondence. These are valuable copies and if any question arises, later on, you can produce the pieces of evidence and ensure complete peace of mind.
Do not pay for the immigration forms- These are free and can be downloaded online
In any case, there is no need to pay for immigration forms.you can get this form easily at the online website of US citizen and immigration services. If you come across any individual who is asking money for providing the immigration form, immediately be aware and report the factor to the government agencies.
Double check at every point- Avoid false Information for any reason
It does not matter whether you come across a person over the phone or at your doorstep, will make sure to verify the things he says. Just ensure that you ask for credentials without hesitation and crosscheck them for verification. You can contact on the government scam helpline numbers if a scammer is trying to pose himself as a lawyer or from a private service. This can help you to get proper verification of the individual.
Avoid cash dealings with Immigration Agents- Pay online to have full tracebility and Accounting
As we all know that cash is a viable option for transactions, but you need to be really aware of the individual whom you are dealing with in cash. A proper government agency will undoubtedly accept all kinds of payment options as well, but the US Citizenship and Immigration Services never accepts payment in the form of cash.
If you feel that you are becoming a victim of any immigration scam, or you are worried that you have already sent money to a scam company, immediately call on the hotline number of the government agency for immigration scams and report the issue. If you have used payment options like the Western Union, you can call on the companies helpline number to stop the transaction, provided that the money has not been transferred to the beneficiary account.