Canada warns Lankans to beware of visa fraud

The Canadian High Commission warned Sri Lankans travelling to Canada to beware of unscrupulous individuals and institutions engaging in false or misleading advertising while many have already lost large sums of money only to find that they have failed to qualify for a visa.

“We feel badly that people are victimized in this way. We want them to know that they should be very wary of giving money to anyone who seems to be offering assurances that a Canadian visa will

be issued”, Canadian High Commissioner Bruce Levy said.

The High Commission noted that only designated High Commission staff can authorize a visa and that paying a fee to an agent, being promised a job in Canada or taking job training is no guarantee that a visa will be approved.

“By taking money from people who cannot afford it and raising false expectations, these unscrupulous operators are also hurting Canada’s reputation in Sri Lanka,” Levy added. “We intend to do whatever we can to deter them.”

Applicants for visas for Canada can apply directly during the normal business hours at the Canada Visa Application Centre.