Australian Visa Scam Calls: What to Do and How to Spot Them

If you receive a phone call about an Australian visa, treat it with caution. The Department of Home Affairs does not typically contact applicants by phone to demand payment or personal information, and it is illegal in Australia for anyone to provide paid immigration assistance unless they are a registered migration agent with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) or an Australian legal practitioner. Scam agents may pretend to be registered, may not know migration law, may give incorrect advice or false promises, and may take your money without lodging an application. If you suspect a scam, report it to Australia’s Border Watch, which accepts anonymous reports.

How to Recognise a Visa Scam Call

Scam calls about Australian visas often follow a pattern. The caller may claim to be from an immigration office, may pressure you to pay a fee urgently, or may promise a visa outcome that official channels would not guarantee. The official guidance from the Department of Home Affairs lists several warning signs that an agent is a scammer.

Scam agents might:

• not know about migration law
• give you incorrect advice or make false promises
• try to take advantage of your situation
• not lodge the application and simply take your money
• provide minimal details about your application or visa status
• provide false documents or statements with your application
• not tell you if and when the department makes a decision on your visa application

These scams are often promoted on social media and may charge a lot of money. If a caller asks you to pay a fee by unusual means, refuses to give a written record, or pressures you to decide immediately, that is a strong signal of a scam.

The Legal Requirement for Paid Immigration Assistance

In Australia, it is illegal for a third party to provide paid immigration assistance or help unless they are a registered migration agent with the department’s Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) or an Australian legal practitioner. Penalties apply. This means that if someone offers to help you with a visa application for a fee, they must be able to show that they are registered with OMARA or are a qualified legal practitioner.

If you are considering paying someone for immigration help, you should verify their registration before you hand over any money or personal documents. You can check the OMARA register on the department’s website. The official guidance does not list a specific phone number for OMARA, so you should look up the registration check tool on the Home Affairs website before relying on any adviser’s claim.

Risks of Engaging with a Scam Agent

Engaging in immigration fraud through a scam agent carries serious consequences. The Department of Home Affairs warns that you could risk:

• losing money
• having your visa cancelled
• being refused entry to Australia
• being ineligible for future Australian visas
• being banned from returning to Australia
• being left stranded or sent back home

Even if you did not intend to commit fraud, using an agent who submits false documents or makes false statements on your behalf can put your visa at risk. The department states that you are responsible for checking the conditions of the visa you apply for, even if your application is completed and submitted by someone else. This means you cannot rely on an agent to protect you from the consequences of a fraudulent application.

What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Call

If you receive a phone call that you suspect is a visa scam, do not provide personal information, do not make a payment, and do not agree to anything on the call. End the call if you feel uncomfortable. You can then verify the situation independently by checking the official Department of Home Affairs website for information about visa types and what you need to supply to support an application.

The department encourages reporting scams. If you are aware of, or suspect a scam in relation to Australian visas and working in Australia, you can report it to Australia’s Border Watch. If you are aware of, or suspect a scam in relation to Australian visas, you can report it to the department’s Border Watch. Reports can be made anonymously. This means you do not have to give your name if you are worried about being identified.

Verifying an Adviser Before You Pay

Before you pay anyone for immigration assistance, you should confirm that they are legally allowed to provide that help. In Australia, only registered migration agents with OMARA or Australian legal practitioners can provide paid immigration assistance. You can check the OMARA register to see if a person is registered. The official guidance does not publish a list of registered agents in the official guidance, so you must check the OMARA register directly on the department’s website.

You should also be wary of anyone who:

• refuses to give you a written agreement or receipt
• asks you to pay in cash or by a method that cannot be traced
• promises a particular visa outcome
• tells you not to contact the department directly
• asks you to provide false documents or information

A legitimate registered migration agent will be able to explain the visa application process, tell you what documents you need, and give you a clear written record of what they will do for you.

Reporting a Scam

If you have already been contacted by a scammer, or if you suspect that someone is running a visa scam, you should report it. The Department of Home Affairs directs reports to Australia’s Border Watch. You can report scams relating to Australian visas and working in Australia. You can also report suspicious immigration activity. The department states that reports can be made anonymously.

Reporting a scam helps protect other applicants. If you have lost money or provided documents to a scammer, you should also consider contacting your bank or financial institution. The official guidance does not provide a specific process for recovering money lost to a scam, so you should seek advice from your bank and from the authorities.

What to Check on the Official Page

If you are unsure whether a call or an adviser is legitimate, check the Department of Home Affairs website. The visa scams page explains how to spot scam agents and how to report them. You can also find information about visa types and what you need to supply to support an application on the department’s website.

If you are considering paying someone for immigration help, verify that they are registered with OMARA or are an Australian legal practitioner. The official guidance does not provide a phone number for OMARA in the official guidance, so you should look up the registration check tool on the Home Affairs website. Do not rely on an adviser’s claim that they are registered; check it yourself.

Remember that you are responsible for checking the conditions of the visa you apply for, even if someone else completes and submits your application. This means you should always read the official information about your visa subclass and the requirements you must meet. If a caller or an adviser tells you something that contradicts the official guidance, treat that as a warning sign.

If you suspect a scam, report it to Australia’s Border Watch. You can make a report anonymously. Do not delay reporting, as early reporting can help prevent others from being targeted.