Australia joins global partners to combat visa fraud

Staff Reporter :

The Australian High Commission to Bangladesh, in partnership with international counterparts, is raising awareness of visa scams and fraudulent migration practices as part of International Fraud Awareness Week from November 16–22, 2025, says a High Commission media release on Thursday.

At the Five Country Ministerial (FCM) held in September this year, ministers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States affirmed their shared commitment to protect the integrity of migration and border systems.

Visa fraud is a growing global issue, with criminals deceiving individuals through false visa guarantees, fake visa documents, and claims of being legitimate migration agents. These scams can result in significant financial loss, emotional distress, and long-term impacts on a person’s ability to travel.

As part of this commitment a coordinated four country international campaign — ‘Fighting Visa Fraud’ — aimed at protecting migrants and strengthening global border integrity is being launched this week. While the United States is unable to participate in this year’s launch, it remains supportive of the initiative.

The Fighting Visa Fraud campaign demonstrates the commitment of FCM partners to combat visa scams collaboratively and raise public awareness.
Educating visa applicants
Aligned messages delivered by participating countries will:
Educate visa applicants about the risks and tactics used by fraudulent facilitators;
Reduce the global scale and impact of visa fraud; and
Encourage safe practices when engaging with visa and migration services.
The campaign will continue into 2026, particularly during peak visa application periods, with tailored messages developed to address local challenges and encourage behaviour change.
Visa applicants are encouraged to visit homeaffairs.gov.au/visascams to learn how to recognise and report visa scams. And remember that the Australian Government never requests payments through social media or unofficial websites.