Notification regarding Web-based immigration fraud

Ill-intentioned individuals may use the Internet to offer foreign nationals false opportunities to obtain a degree, a job or expedited processing of their immigration file. They may use the image of the Ministère or its partners to build fake websites that pretend to be official. Their aim could be to trick foreign nationals into paying them money or collecting personal data.

If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a Ministère website or secure platform, please contact our Customer Contact Centre.

Some clues to detect a fraudulent website:

• The URL does not correspond precisely to the address you typed;
• The URL of the alleged Quebec government site does not contain the following elements: "www.quebec.ca" or "gouv.qc.ca";
• There is no padlock in the browser window and no "https://" at the beginning of the URL address to show that it is a secure site;
• Contact details for the Ministère are missing or appear to be incorrect.

Be alert if:

• You are asked to pay to access forms or platforms;
• You are asked to pay for a guaranteed entry into Québec or Canada, a high-paying job or accelerated processing of your application;
• You can't reach anyone at the contact details given, or there are no contact details on the website;
• You are asked to deposit money into a personal bank account or to transfer funds using a private money transfer service;
• Individuals who claim to be representatives of the government, well-known organizations or large corporations use e-mail addresses like Yahoo!, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.;
• You are asked to pay the fees required via a money transfer agent. Reputable transfer agents recommend that you should never use their services to send money to strangers;
• Individuals who claim to be representatives of the government or well-known organizations promise that they can process your file faster if you provide certain documents or if you pay more than the fee in effect;
• You are asked to enter your file number on a website. In fact, the Ministère will never ask you to enter your file number on its website, except on secure platforms for:
  • an online application for temporary selection for studies;
  • an online application for permanent selection;
  • filing the expression of interest form (Arrima).

A few tips to protect yourself on the Web

• Before responding to an offer, find out about the individuals or organizations you are dealing with by consulting a search engine, for example. If you can’t find any reliable information, it is best not to respond to the offer. If in doubt, you can also contact the Ministère.
• Make sure that the people you are corresponding with are really who they claim to be and that the organizations they represent legally exist. Don’t hesitate to ask for proof and to verify it with the appropriate authorities.
• On the Internet, always check the address of the website you are visiting in the address bar of your browser.
• Avoid long distance transactions unless you’ve already had initial contact with your representative and are sure of his or her legal existence. Ideally, you should be able to visit the intermediary’s office to discuss your plans. Note that the Ministère does not provide any information on immigration intermediaries.
• To act as an immigration consultant, an individual must be recognized as such by the Ministère. When an immigration consultant is recognized, their name is entered in the Registre québécois des consultants en immigration  (Québec Register of Immigration Consultants - In French only). Use the search engine below to find the name of a person recognized as an immigration consultant.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.