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For employers

Before you pay for a visa: 15 questions, and what a good answer looks like.

Questions for an EOR (employer of record: a firm that legally employs the person abroad on your company's behalf) or a law firm, each with a clear answer, a warning sign, and what is already written down as a rule or published by sellers.

How to use this

Ask each question before you pay anything.

Ask for the answer in writing, in the agreement you will sign. For each question you will find:

A clear answer:
what a good answer covers.
A warning sign:
answers that should make you ask again.
Already a rule:
in some countries, the codes that registered advisers must follow already require the answer to be in the agreement. Lawyers follow their own professional rules, which can differ.
What sellers publish:
what we found in the public terms of 12 visa providers that serve employers, read in October 2026. A small set chosen by us, not a survey.

Nothing here is advice on any person’s visa.

Two of these questions have their own page: which money comes back if a visa is refused and what to get in writing on price.

Questions 1–5

The five that protect your money

  1. 1

    If the visa is refused, withdrawn, or the route closes, what happens to the money I have paid?

    Also ask: Is the government’s fee ever returned? Is a second application included or charged? Who decides whether a refusal was caused by my information or by your mistake?

    A clear answer
    Takes each part separately (your fee, the government’s fee, other costs) and says for each whether it is returned in full, in part, or kept. Says how quickly a refund is paid, and whether re-filing is included.
    A warning sign
    “It depends”, an answer only given out loud, or a line about the government’s fee with nothing about the adviser’s own fee.
    Already a rule
    The agreement must contain a refund policy in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. In Australia, refunds that fall due must be paid within 14 days. In Canada, if an adviser thinks an application has little chance, they must say so in writing first.
    What sellers publish
    Three different answers. One charges its fee only if the permit is granted, and adds 20% to the price for taking that risk. One refunds only if the refusal was its own error. One reviews the refusal and prices the next step before doing anything. Every provider that mentioned the government’s fee called it non-refundable.
  2. 2

    If the rules change after I pay, what exactly have you committed to do?

    Also ask: Is a change in the rules a reason you keep my fee?

    A clear answer
    Says who looks at your case again, within how many days, who pays for a new application or a switch to another route, and what happens to your fee.
    A warning sign
    “Rule changes are outside our control”, and nothing after it.
    Already a rule
    None of the four adviser codes we read requires this.
    What sellers publish
    None of the 12 providers commits to anything. Two name a change in the rules as a reason the fee stays payable or their guarantee does not apply. The nearest to a promise is one provider that will tell you if a rule change alters its fees.
  3. 3

    Which dates do you commit to for your own work, and what do I get if you miss one?

    Ask separately about the government’s steps, which nobody can promise.

    A clear answer
    Gives dates for the adviser’s own steps, such as the first reply and the filing date, and names what you get if one is missed: a fee reduction, a free re-do, or the right to leave and be refunded.
    A warning sign
    Only the government’s processing times, or “any time estimate is for information only”.
    Already a rule
    In Canada, the agreement must list the services with estimated time frames.
    What sellers publish
    Promises exist only for early steps, such as an assessment within 48 hours or a reply within 24 hours. Decision dates are disclaimed. None of the 12 names a remedy for a missed date. Compare the US government: its paid fast-track service refunds its fee if the authority misses its own 15-business-day deadline.
  4. 4

    What is not included?

    Ask for a written list. Check it names: the government’s fee, translations, certified copies and legalisation, health surcharges, family members, a second application, appeals.

    A clear answer
    A written list of what is extra, with an amount or an estimate for each.
    A warning sign
    “No additional fees” in the sales material, with extras appearing only in the terms.
    Already a rule
    Third-party costs must be listed with an amount or estimate in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. New Zealand also requires the agreement to say who pays them.
    What sellers publish
    The best-covered question. One provider lists government fees, health surcharges, translations, legalisation and legal fees as billed separately. One provider’s announcement promised no additional fees after the quote, while its terms for one route mention separate fees.
  5. 5

    Which steps are decided by the government, which by you, and which by me?

    Also ask: If you decide a refusal came from my information, what do I still owe?

    A clear answer
    Goes stage by stage and names who decides, who acts and who chases when it stalls.
    A warning sign
    Every delay blamed on the authority, or a clause making you responsible for “incomplete information” with no limit on what that covers.
    Already a rule
    None of the four adviser codes we read requires this split.
    What sellers publish
    Four providers draw this line in writing. They name the authority as the decider and you as responsible for complete and accurate information.

Questions 6–8

Price

  1. 6

    Is the price fixed until my case is finished?

    A clear answer
    A fixed fee or an hourly rate with an estimate, and a written rule for when it can change.
    A warning sign
    A price “for now”, or increases that need no written agreement.
    Already a rule
    In Australia, a fixed fee or hourly rate cannot be changed unless exceptional circumstances arise after signing. In New Zealand, any extra or changed fee must be agreed in writing. In Canada, charging more than the estimate needs your written agreement.
    What careful buyers write down
    One US state’s tender for immigration lawyers says fee proposals must hold for the whole contract, with no increases allowed.
  2. 7

    Can you split the quote into the government’s fee, your fee and other costs?

    A clear answer
    Three separate lines, with the government’s fee shown at its official amount.
    A warning sign
    One total figure.
    Already a rule
    The fee and third-party costs are stated separately in the agreement in New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
    What careful buyers write down
    US public universities publish their lawyers’ fees on one line and the government’s fees on another, sometimes with a different payee for each.
  3. 8

    What could make me pay more later, and will you get my written agreement first?

    A clear answer
    A list of what can trigger extra cost, and a promise of written notice and your agreement before any extra charge.
    A warning sign
    Extras invoiced after the work is done.
    Already a rule
    Written agreement to extra or changed fees in New Zealand and Canada. In Australia, changes to the agreement need prior written notice with reasons.
    What careful buyers write down
    One university’s page promises departments notice “in advance of any additional fees”.

Questions 9–11

Who is responsible

  1. 9

    Who is responsible for my case, by name, and can they be replaced without telling me?

    A clear answer
    A named person, with their registration number where the country has a register, and a promise to tell you before anyone else takes over.
    A warning sign
    “Our team will handle it”.
    Already a rule
    The agreement names the adviser and their licence or registration number in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. In the UK, regulated advisers must display their registration number where appropriate.
    What careful buyers write down
    One US state’s contract says the named lawyers cannot be changed without its prior written consent.
  2. 10

    If you make a mistake that costs me money, who pays?

    Ask what insurance they hold, and the most you could claim back.

    A clear answer
    Names the insurance, the limit, and how to make a claim.
    A warning sign
    A cap on what you can claim that is lower than what you are paying.
    What careful buyers write down
    One US public body’s tender requires USD 1,000,000 of professional liability insurance. A UK public contract for immigration advice requires professional indemnity insurance.
  3. 11

    Will anyone outside your firm work on my case, and do you pay or receive anything for referring me?

    A clear answer
    Names any outside firm, confirms the adviser stays responsible for its work, and discloses any commission either way.
    A warning sign
    A referral partner you were not told about.
    Already a rule
    Commissions and other benefits must be disclosed in New Zealand and Australia. In Canada, a consultant must not pay anyone for referring you. In the UK, regulated advisers must not pay or take a reward for a referral.
    What careful buyers write down
    One US public hospital system requires prior written approval and the name of any subcontracted firm.

Questions 12–13

When things go wrong

  1. 12

    If I am unhappy, who do I contact first, and how long do you have to reply?

    A clear answer
    A written complaints process with names or roles, time limits, and the regulator you can go to next.
    A warning sign
    No written process.
    Already a rule
    The agreement sets out the complaints process in Canada. In New Zealand you receive it before signing, and it must say you can also complain to the regulator. UK regulated advisers must have a written complaints procedure.
  2. 13

    When a rule changes that affects my case, will you tell me in writing, and within how many days?

    A clear answer
    A written promise to tell you, with a number of days.
    A warning sign
    “We monitor changes”, with no promise to tell you.
    What sellers publish
    Two providers say they monitor rule changes. None commits to telling the client within a set time.
    What careful buyers write down
    One Australian university’s tender asks its immigration provider for timely updates on legislative changes.

Questions 14–15

Scope

  1. 14

    Which tasks are included in your fee?

    A clear answer
    A written list of the work, written for your case, plus how anything extra gets agreed.
    A warning sign
    “Full service” with no list.
    Already a rule
    The agreement describes the services, tailored to you, in New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
  2. 15

    Is all of this written into the agreement I am signing, and do I get it before I pay?

    A clear answer
    Yes to both, with time to read it first.
    A warning sign
    A payment asked for before the agreement exists.
    Already a rule
    In Australia, an agent cannot take money before a written agreement is in force. In Canada, you get a draft before you sign, and the agreement comes before any service. In New Zealand, you get a written agreement when you decide to go ahead. UK regulated advisers send a client care letter before work starts.

Holding a visa quote from an EOR or a law firm?

Send us the fee lines as plain text — no documents. We send back what the quote leaves out and three questions to send your provider.

Free. Facts and questions only, not legal advice.

Email us the fee lines

Sources

Every figure and quote, as published.

The adviser codes are the rules for registered immigration advisers; lawyers follow their own professional rules. Rules are stated in general terms and are not applied to any person’s own case. Nothing here is advice on any person’s visa.

More for employers

15 questions to ask before you pay for a visa — Immimaps