Canada eTA scams: the official site and the CAN$7 fee

The official address and fee

Canada's eTA page on canada.ca says “It only costs CAN$7” and calls itself the Government of Canada's official website to apply ¹. You pay right after you complete the form, and the fee is not refunded ¹.

Government fees are the same everywhere. Canada says “Processing fees are the same for all of our services in Canada and around the world” ².

What the Canadian government says

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says companies offering to get an eTA for you are not linked to the government. “These companies are not working with the Government of Canada. Many have websites that charge a fee for information and submitting eTA applications” ².

It warns: “Don't pay for offers of guaranteed entry into Canada or faster processing of your application. These claims are false” ².

The UK government's travel advice for Canada says the same: “Some unauthorised websites charge for submitting visa applications. These websites are not associated with the Canadian government” ⁵.

How the overcharge works

The Hong Kong Consumer Council described a case in 2019. A traveller searched for “Canadian Visa”, clicked the top result, and paid the equivalent of more than HK$500 per person. She later learned the eTA cost CAN$7. Her bank asked the site to reverse the charge, but the site said it had provided the service and refused ³.

Canada says criminals can copy a real website or build one that looks professional, and some claim to be official government sites or partners ².

How to tell you are dealing with the Government of Canada

Canada gives several checks. Only immigration officers in Canada and at Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates can decide to issue a visa ².

Government fees are paid to the Receiver General for Canada, except where a visa office website says otherwise ².

Only enter private information when you see a padlock in the browser or an address starting with https:// ². Official emails come from a Government of Canada account, not a free webmail address ².

Canada's advice when unsure: “If in doubt, contact the website owner by telephone or email before you do anything” ².

What to do

• Apply from the canada.ca eTA page only ¹.
• Check the address bar. Canada advises you to check the address when you land on a website ².
• If more than 72 hours have passed, check your eTA status with the Canadian government ⁵.
• Do not pay anyone who offers guaranteed entry into Canada. Canada says these claims are false ².
• Report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or on 1-888-495-8501, and to local police ⁴.