The single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself from education consultancy fraud is to verify the consultancy's registration before you pay anything. This takes about 10 minutes. Here is exactly how to do it.
Why Registration Matters
In Australia, Canada, and the UK, certain types of advice provided by education consultancies — particularly migration and visa advice — are legally regulated. Only registered practitioners can legally provide this advice. An unregistered consultancy providing migration advice is breaking the law.
This is not just a technicality: registered practitioners are subject to professional standards, insurance requirements, continuing education, and can be struck off for misconduct. Unregistered consultancies face none of these accountability mechanisms.
Australia: Check OMARA Registration
If an Australian-based consultancy is advising you on student visa applications, their staff providing migration advice must be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA).
How to check:
1. Go to mara.gov.au
2. Click "Find a migration agent"
3. Search by name, company name, or MARN (Migration Agent Registration Number)
4. Verify the registration is current (not cancelled or suspended)
Education consultancies that only provide advice on university selection and applications — but do not assist with visa applications — may not require OMARA registration. But any consultancy helping with a student visa application should have a registered migration agent on their team.
Warning: Some consultancies display a MARN number on their website that belongs to a registered agent who no longer works there, or who is "associated" but not actually involved in your file. Ask specifically: "Which registered migration agent will handle my visa application? Can I speak with them directly?"
United Kingdom: Check OISC Registration
In the UK, anyone providing immigration advice or services for profit must be registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) or be an authorised person such as a solicitor.
How to check:
1. Go to gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
2. Search for the consultancy by name or location
3. Confirm they are listed and their registration is active
UK universities themselves are sometimes registered OISC advisers and can provide limited immigration guidance — check with your institution's international office if you are already enrolled.
Canada: Check CICC Registration
In Canada, anyone who gives advice on immigration or citizenship applications for payment must be a regulated professional: either a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), a Canadian lawyer, or a Quebec Notary.
How to check:
1. Go to college-ic.ca
2. Click "Find a Member"
3. Search by name or RCIC number
4. Confirm the member is in good standing
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) also has a public list of disciplinary decisions — worth checking if you have concerns about a specific individual.
Check for Independent Student Reviews
Registration confirms legality — not quality. A registered consultancy can still provide poor advice. Always cross-check with independent student reviews.
Where to look:
- ConsultancyCheck — reviews verified by student email
- Google Reviews — search "[consultancy name] reviews"
- Facebook — search the consultancy name; look at posts on their page from others
- Reddit — search "r/ImmigrationAustralia," "r/ImmigrationCanada," "r/ukvisa" for mentions
Look specifically for:
- Whether reviewers describe actual experiences (not vague praise)
- Whether negative reviews were addressed or ignored
- Whether reviews mention specific staff members (higher credibility signal)
- The spread of review dates — a cluster of 5-star reviews in one week can indicate fake reviews
Verify Their Physical Presence
Search the consultancy's business name on your country's business register:
- Australia: ABN Lookup at abn.business.gov.au
- UK: Companies House at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
- Canada: Canada Business Registry at ic.gc.ca/app/scr/cc/CorporationsCanada
A legitimate consultancy will have a registered business entity that predates your engagement with them. A business registered last month with no reviews is a warning sign.
Ask These Direct Questions Before Paying
Ask any consultancy these questions before handing over money:
- "What is your MARN / OISC reference / RCIC number?"
- "Which registered migration agent or lawyer will handle my visa application?"
- "Can I see your current registration certificate?"
- "Can you provide references from 3 students who studied in [target country] in the last 12 months?"
- "What is your refund policy if my visa is refused through no fault of my own?"
A legitimate consultancy will answer these questions directly and without hesitation. Evasion or redirection is a red flag.
Red Flags That Override Everything Else
Regardless of registration status, walk away if a consultancy:
- Guarantees a visa approval
- Asks for all fees upfront before any services are delivered
- Offers to "arrange" a high IELTS/PTE score
- Pressures you to apply to specific universities without explaining why
- Refuses to provide a written service agreement
- Does not have any independently verifiable reviews from real students
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does every education consultancy need to be registered?
It depends on what they do. In Australia, Canada, and the UK, consultancies providing migration or visa advice for payment must be registered with the relevant authority (OMARA, CICC, or OISC respectively). Consultancies that only advise on course and university selection without visa advice may not require specific registration, but should still have verifiable reviews and a legitimate business registration.
How do I check if an education consultancy is registered in Australia?
Go to mara.gov.au and use the "Find a migration agent" search to check if the consultancy's migration agent is currently registered with OMARA. You can search by name, company, or MARN number. Also verify the business at abn.business.gov.au.
What if a consultancy shows a registration number but I cannot verify it?
Contact the regulatory body directly: email or call OMARA (Australia), OISC (UK), or CICC (Canada) and ask them to confirm the registration is current and belongs to the named individual or company. Fraudulent consultancies sometimes display fake or expired registration numbers.
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