Arabic version: الطلاب يخسرون آلاف الدولارات في احتيال تأشيرات مزعوم من قبل استشارات التعليم

International students in Australia have reported being misled by Future Care Consultants, which allegedly referred them to an agent who charged exorbitant fees for fraudulent visa assistance. According to ABC News, four students claim they were deceived into paying thousands for services that ultimately failed.

The students were connected to an agent named Omer Bin Rasheed, who reportedly charged them for services that did not materialize. Future Care Consultants stated that they ceased using Rasheed upon discovering his conduct and claimed they have not benefited from the lost funds incurred by the students.

Future Care’s website promotes its team as consisting of experienced migration agents and qualified education consultants. However, the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) confirmed that there are no registered migration agents associated with Future Care, raising questions about the legitimacy of their operations.

Students like Miftah Ud Din expressed feeling reassured by Future Care’s guidance, only to find themselves in financial distress when their visa applications were rejected. They allege that Future Care disowned Rasheed when issues arose, stating that the financial disputes were between the students and the agent.

The situation highlights the lack of regulation surrounding education agents in Australia, as they are not required to be registered like migration agents. This has left students vulnerable to scams, with calls for better oversight in the industry to protect aspiring international students.