Listen to this article
Estimated 5 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Videos making false claims about Canada’s immigration policies are popping up on TikTok and Instagram in an attempt to scam travellers coming to FIFA World Cup matches this summer, according to immigration and anti-fraud experts.
Analysis from the CBC’s visual investigations team revealed that the social media accounts connected to these posts are based in multiple countries, including India, Pakistan and Canada. CBC News has independently translated videos in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi and found several making inaccurate claims about entering the country for the international soccer tournament.
One video displays screenshots from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, a graphic of a Canadian passport and a waving Canadian flag with a big green check mark next to it.
In the background, a woman speaking in Hindi makes a common claim observed by CBC News: that people coming to Canada on visitor visas for the World Cup can also work and stay for the long term.
“For those who have been wanting to settle in Canada for a very long time … it’s a golden opportunity,” she said.
‘They are preying on vulnerable people’
“In most of these cases, these are scams,” Calgary-based immigration consultant Mandeep Lidher said. “They are preying on vulnerable people who lack the knowledge or who don’t go online and check the official requirements.”
These work-related claims are misrepresenting a temporary policy from the IRCC, announced in November, that exempts select FIFA-invited foreign nationals — such as the organization’s employees and contractors — from needing the usual government authorizations to work in Canada, experts say.
The IRCC said in a statement to CBC News that the FIFA World Cup is not an opportunity to seek asylum, and “visitors to Canada are expected to respect the conditions of their stay and leave once their authorized period ends.”
Another common claim that CBC News observed in the videos was the existence of a “special category” for visitors travelling to Canada for the World Cup.
“For those who want to apply for this visa, we have a big offer for you,” a man speaking in Urdu said in another video.
He was selling a visa application package for 150,000 Indian rupees (about $2,220 Cdn) that purportedly includes “embassy fees, match tickets, biometrics and consultancy fees.” The man said the “approval ratio would be high” for these types of visas.
But a special visitor’s visa for the World Cup does not exist, and the normal checks and balances for entering the country still apply, Lidher said.
Social media videos about the ‘FIFA visa’ make big promises about coming to Canada during the World Cup, including some that claim the opportunity to work and even settle here — but the government warns some may be scams and no such visa exists. CBC’s visual investigations unit looks into where these social media accounts originate from.
“As usual, they will check your finances, your travel history,” he said. “One of the main focuses is that you can return to your home country and won’t overstay in Canada and file for asylum.”
CBC News contacted each social media account for comment but did not hear back before publication. One of the posts was no longer visible within minutes of reaching out.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said in a statement that it “is aware and receiving reports of FIFA-related fraud” and that “fraud activity tends to increase around major global events.”
The agency went on to say that “we cannot confirm whether these frauds are originating from inside Canada.”
Canadian efforts abroad to warn travellers
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, with matches taking place in Toronto, Vancouver and 14 other host cities in the United States and Mexico.
Expecting visitors from across the globe, the Canadian government is engaged in international efforts to warn the public against fraudsters.
Joshua Tabah, Canada’s high commissioner for Kenya, is part of a press campaign in that country to alert locals about potential immigration scams.
“Canada already has the stadiums. We’re not building new stadiums for the FIFA World Cup,” he told the media in Nairobi earlier this month, adding that if someone is offering construction work in Canada in exchange for cash, “that’s a scam. Don’t fall for it.”
The IRCC said World Cup tickets don’t guarantee a traveller entry to Canada and that “border officers will make the final decision on entry when the visitor arrives.”
Lidher, the Calgary immigration consultant, said fans should be wary of any agents claiming they can guarantee entry.
“In many cases, these agents falsify documents, and they even alter people’s documents. So that could end up getting somebody a five-year ban [from Canada] for misrepresentation.”
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre stressed that reporting scams is crucial to stopping fraudsters.
“When Canadians report, it allows us to identify patterns, share fraudulent websites, bank accounts, phone numbers, emails and social media activity for disruption efforts, and provide actionable intelligence to investigative partners.”
