People from all over the world come to Canada with job aspirations. Canada is the land of opportunity with a thriving economy and growing job opportunities for foreign nationals.
A Canadian job offer can be lucrative and rewarding for foreign nationals who want to immigrate to Canada.
Unfortunately, this also means that there are opportunities for many dishonest people who will try to take advantage of people’s aspirations by offering them fake job offers.
Securing a job offer is a pretty big deal if you are hoping to immigrate to Canada. However, you should be cautious of fraudulent job offers and scams. Scammers usually impersonate as an entrepreneur, recruiter or company executive. They will quote you attractive job offers that will sound too good to be true.
However, being beware of them will save you and your finances a lot of trouble. Spotting a scam can be a tricky task, but remembering a few tips can make all the difference. The first step is knowing what a real job offer looks like.
Features to Look for in a Real Job Offer
A job offer should include information about the specific occupation and must be less formal than an employment contract. It should be in writing and come directly from the employer and not a third party.
It should contain details about the nature and responsibilities of your position, the rate of pay, deductions and employment conditions.
Apart from the exemption cases, it should include a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and an employment offer number.
How to Spot a Fake Canadian Job Offer?
Look for the following to spot a fraudulent job offer:
Unsolicited Offers: The most obvious sign of a fraudulent job offer is when the salary offered is too high for the offered job. You can check the average wage rate of your occupation on the Canadian Government’s Job Bank site.
If the job offer has a serious gap between the relevant wage rate on the site and the offered salary, this can indicate a fake job offer
This can be a too good to be true scenario. If there are too many attractive benefits related to the job, this should also raise some concerns. These benefits can include free airfare from your home country, free accommodation, unrealistic holiday packages, etc.
Additional Costs and Fees: This is the most common type of job scam. You are asked to pay for a job that does not exist. You should never pay for a job offer because:
- Employers pay recruiters to fill positions for them
- The Canadian government has made it illegal to exchange money for a job offer or job offer letter
Submitting a fraudulent job offer can lead to your application being denied with serious long-term consequences.
Scammers can also ask you to pay money for obtaining a work permit in Canada. In most cases, the amount does not reflect the actual cost of obtaining a work permit. You must verify the correct amount and deal accordingly.
If they are asking for any sort of monetary exchange for employment, it is a red flag.
