Is immigration your aim?

# A wise thing to do is to invest in yourself rather than mindlessly chase immigration dreams...

HASMUKH, a Bachelor’s in Computer Application (BCA) graduate, went to Canberra to study for a one-year degree in Networking. As Networking was on the Skilled Occupation List, he was told by an agent that his Permanent Residency (PR) would be automatic on completion of his programme. What he didn’t know was that PR was applicable to students with work experience only. Now, Hasmukh is struggling to make ends meet with no PR in sight and will be returning home.

Assess your agent, counsellor

Unscrupulous agents continue to misguide students to take on programmes without paying heed to students’ interests or abilities, charge large sums of money to arrange fake IELTS certificates, send students for Chef and hairdressing programmes with PR hopes.

While there are thousands of candidates who wish to leave India under any pretext and are prepared to pay large sums of money for faking academic as well as bank and financial documents, it is equally true that there are thousands of genuine candidates who get duped by agents catering to the grey market. So go to representatives who are genuine with a good reputation. Ask your friends, relatives or alumni to know more the agent’s experience. Find out about their knowledge and whether they can provide high quality service standards that will help you to achieve your goals and ambitions.

Beware of ‘Earn and Learn’ ads

Ads of ‘Earn and Learn’ and ‘London Dreams’ of studying in UK colleges with fees as low as GBP 3,000 and promises of work are a trap. Many students find themselves at Gurdwaras, eating their daily Langar as they have no money to eat let alone pay for accommodation. You must know that jobs aren’t so easily available, and these colleges are no more than basic classrooms with few facilities. Migration-driven students do little thinking or planning of life after migration and many of these individuals end up in low paid work, and are taken advantage of in every society

Recent changes in visa regulations must know

UK

The funds must have been held in savings for at least 28 days. Only parents and legal guardians can sponsor the student.

Australia

Students must have funding for the duration of their programme to a maximum of 3 years. The exception is PhD which requires only 1 year of funding.

Funds must be 6 months old. Only parents, grandparents, siblings can sponsor. Uncles and Aunts who are permanent residents of OZ or NZ can also sponsor the student.

New Zealand

Students must have at least 1 year of funding for their programme, both fees and living expenses.

Canada

Students going to Universities must show enough funds to cover the duration of their studies.

Only parents or blood relatives can sponsor the student, preferably from India.

USA

Student has to show full funds for 1 year of education which can be a bank loan + savings.

For second year fund capability, normally only parents can sponsor.

Ideally funds should be 6 months old and sponsor should show the Income Tax Returns. Parents, do your homework

Then again, many students, and indeed parents, often say to agents, ‘do whatever it takes’. Since Australia has toughened its visa regulations, students are now bee-lining for Canada or the UK or EU or anywhere. These people set themselves up to be cheated and for failure. Of course, many have relatives or ‘friends’ in the chosen country who are ever ready, often for a price, to help them acquire fake anythings, including illegal work, fake marriages and so on. Such students and parents skate on high risk ‘thin ice’ strategies.

Say ‘No’ to fake certificates

Many visas are refused because of “fake documentation” and this can result in a ban of up to ten years to that country and often other countries will also ban entry. The High Commissions are now far more pro-active and are doing far more verifications to halt this practice. New Zealand now authorises only licensed immigration advisers to advise on migration even for students.

The goldmine is in India

Students who make full use of their international experience are the ones who end up with lucrative careers overseas or back home. Today, India is the new growth story where long-term progress is assured. Even foreigners are increasingly finding career opportunities in India these days. So do some independent research to ensure you are at the right place. Surely you would not walk into the first lawyer or an accountant’s office without checking out their credentials and reputation.

Do Verify

Your agent’s reputation and standing by talking to their referrals

How long have they been in the business

Their charges and compare these with others in the industry

Confirm and take a written document on Refund Policy

Their credentials from their website as well as the Government websites

Verify their response and outcome time frame of the application from the websites

Don’t

Get trapped into arranging fake documentation

Expect a guarantee of visa as simply no one can give this

Lay out large sums without understanding the service expectation frame.

Make the right choices and you would never regret it.