When hiring an agency for visas, study abroad, or immigration, first check whether it is registered with immigration authorities
From September (9) 15, 2026, an agency that handles visas, study abroad, or immigration has to file with the immigration authority. Drumming up clients with exaggerated claims, and providing or helping to provide false materials, are both expressly forbidden. If you hear "guaranteed to pass," "visa guaranteed," or "we will prepare the materials for you," be careful.
There is no cost. Simply ask whether the agency is registe…
In 2018, China abolished the licensing requirement for private immigration agencies, meaning no prior approval…
There is no cost. Simply ask whether the agency is registered, and keep any written documentation on hand.
In 2018, China abolished the licensing requirement for private immigration agencies, meaning no prior approval is needed to open such agencies. Since then, their numbers have risen sharply, but many operate without proper oversight, violating laws and harming applicants’ rights; authorities even struggle to track how many exist. Effective September 15, 2026, these agencies must register with local immigration authorities within 15 days of establishment, with existing agencies required to comply within 90 days. Prohibited activities include: (1) publishing false information or using exaggerated or misleading claims to attract clients; (2) providing or helping clients submit false documents for visas, residence permits, passports, or other immigration paperwork; (3) leaking, selling, or illegally sharing personal data; and (4) organizing or aiding cross-border illegal activities. Foreign firms and organizations are also barred from offering such services within China.
国务院 (2026). 关于出境入境管理的规定（国令第 841 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202607/content_7077173.htm（第七、八、十、十二、十三条）；United States Code, Title 8, §1182(a)(6)(C)(i) Misrepresentation. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1182（康奈尔大学法律信息研究所转载）
Open source linkAn agency that keeps "guaranteed to pass," "visa guaranteed," or "we will prepare the materials for you" in its mouth is already doing something that is expressly forbidden. Once it is found out, the person who bears the consequences is the applicant. An unintentional mistake when you fill in the form yourself is generally a refusal this time. That is the author's experience. If false materials are used and it is found to be fraud, the consequences are much heavier. Take the United States as an example. Its immigration law says that a foreigner who applies for a visa by fraud or by a willful misrepresentation of a material fact "shall be inadmissible." Policy advice and information lookup that are not done to make money do not count as agency services.