By: johnson
Pathway Visas has promised countless numbers of people a new and better start in a new country, but according to their site, we cannot say for sure whether they deliver on that promise.
From a distance, Pathway Visas does look reputable as they claim to be registered with the ICCRC (Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council) and MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority).
Their MARA agent was verified to be a Mr Alexandra Spatarel (#0401432).
They give no indication of who will be assisting Canadian applications, so we do not know if you will be assisted by a qualified immigration lawyer or a qualified RCIC consultant. Because they do not provide a name or person we can identify and check with the ICCRC, it would be wise to check with them who their RCIC is and verify it with the ICCRC at: http://secure.iccrc-crcic.ca/search-new/EN
There are no reviews about the company on the web, which is concerning considering they are supposedly large enough to be able to provide immigration services to a large number of countries, including Canada, Denmark, the USA and UK. If they offer visas to so many countries, they should have registered consultants for each country. However, this is not indicated on their website.
Website
http://pathwayvisas.com/home/canada/
Posted Content
Their social media accounts are updated regularly and they have constant engagement with clients asking questions about how to immigrate to a new country. The website is also accessible and easy to navigate with content that is easy to understand. For new clients, Pathway Visas offer a free assessment to determine whether they are eligible for any of their offerings.
We appreciate that Pathway Visas took the trouble to make their user satisfaction known by posting what seem to be genuine testimonials on their site as well as a mini gallery of successful immigration certificates and documents to lend more credibility to their reputation.
However, there are a few things that one should take note of:
The first red flag is their ‘guarantee’ which promises; “No Visa, No Fee – GUARANTEE!” Since they have this advertised on their site, it leads the reader to believe that they offer refunds if the visa application is unsuccessful. However, once you read the fine print, it does not seem to be as simple as that.
According to the Terms and Conditions, Pathway Visas will not be held responsible for not submitting all the proper documents, which could lead to you not getting your visa approved. But isn’t that the point of applying through an immigration agency?
Surely their whole function should be to ensure that documents are submitted correctly? If a mistake is made, then who should be held accountable for that?
Added to this is the fact that Pathway Visas’ Terms and Conditions page has a refund policy (Clause 9-16) that states that there will be no refund if you do not receive your visa which contradicts the company saying: “No Visa, No Fee – GUARANTEE!” What does their guarantee cover in that case?
If a client decides to not process or continue with the application, then surely she/he should at least be able to get a percentage of his/her money back right? Unfortunately not. Pathway Visas makes no allowance for refunds on cancellations.
They do make a valid point of saying that they cannot guarantee that you will get a visa or not, as this is up to the Canadian Government. However, this point is buried in their Terms and Conditions, that potential immigrants may not read or comprehend.
Although their social media looks good and their past clients seem to be satisfied with their experience with Pathway Visas, we would advise you to read the fine print before you agree to hand over any money.
Conclusion
Good
Free Assessment Online and engaging social media
Legitimate testimonials & Visual proof
Terms & Conditions page with privacy policy & refund policy
Bad
Terms and conditions
“NO Visa, No Fee, Guarantee” misunderstanding