Nigerians lose billions of naira every year to fake agents. If you see any of these, walk away.

• ✕"Buy CoS" or "sponsorship for sale"Real UK sponsors don't sell certificates. Paying for one can get you banned.
• ✕Care worker jobs from NigeriaThe overseas route is closed. Any agent charging for it is collecting free money.
• ✕Borrowed proof of fundsCanada and the UK check where money came from. Lent money that disappears after the visa leads to refusal and a record.
• ✕"Guaranteed visa" agentsNo agent can guarantee a visa. Only the embassy decides.
• ✕Fake job offers asking for feesGenuine employers don't ask you to pay for interviews, medicals or "processing".
• ✕Paying into a personal accountVisa fees are paid on the official government website or at the visa centre, never into an agent's personal bank account.
• ✕"Embassy contact" or "inside person"Nobody can influence an embassy decision. People who claim this are selling lies.
• ✕US lottery "processing fee"Entering the US Diversity Visa lottery is free on the official State Department site. Anyone charging to enter or "win" it is a scammer.
• ✕Pressure to pay today"Only 2 slots left" and "price goes up tomorrow" are pressure tactics. Real routes have published dates.
• ✕Fake or edited documentsNever use a fake bank statement, admission letter or job offer. Getting caught brings a 10-year UK ban and a record in other countries.

Check before you pay anybody

• ✓UK job offerSearch the employer on the official Register of Licensed Sponsors: Workers on GOV.UK.
• ✓UK universityCheck it is on the Register of Licensed Sponsors: Students on GOV.UK.
• ✓UK adviserAnyone giving UK immigration advice must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or be a regulated solicitor.
• ✓Canada school or consultantFind the school on IRCC's Designated Learning Institutions list. Paid consultants must be licensed by the CICC.
• ✓Germany degreeCheck your Nigerian degree's recognition on the official anabin database before you plan.
• ✓Any visaGet every fee and form from the official government website. If it's not there, it doesn't exist.