Many people from other countries feel a strong desire to come to the United States. Some are willing to do whatever it takes to come here. In certain cases, people turn to illegal means to make it here. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who prey on the people who want to come here.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides information about scams prevalent in the immigration industry. Being savvy about these scams can help ensure that you and your family members who are trying to come here don’t fall victim to them.
A few common scams
Many of the scams common these days are based in emails. One comes from a place purporting to be the Department of State in India or the USCIS New Delhi Field Office. The issue with these is that they aren’t actually from these entities. When you are reviewing emails for authenticity, make sure that they are coming from a .gov domain. You should also know that approval or denial of visas, including those related to the visa lottery, won’t ever be sent via email. Additionally, requests for payment transfers via email or phone to another individual won’t ever be made by an official entity.
Some websites mimic the USCIS website and will ask that you pay to download forms. These pay-for-form sites aren’t related to the official website, which provides forms free of charge.
Other common scams are related to job offers. Many of these scams require that you pay to get a job with the company. These are almost always scams. Remember, you need to have the appropriate documentation to work in the U.S. in a legal capacity.
Cost of scams
Not only are many of these costly financially, they cost you a lot of time. When you are dealing with immigration situations, you need to work diligently to find solutions. Falling for a scam takes that time away. It can also mean that you’ve wasted time that you could have put toward ensuring you meet the requirements to come into this country.
Working with someone in the U.S. who is reputable and familiar with the issues that people coming to this country face can help ensure that you aren’t wasting your time and money when you could be putting both toward meeting your goals of enjoying life in this country.
