26/04/2026
No, You Don’t Need an Agent to Travel Abroad
I have received several messages from some of our readers, asking me to share their heart-rending stories. Many have been scammed out of their hard-earned money. Families have lost their savings or real estate because many an unscrupulous agent duped them out of their finances.
Let me say this loud and clear: You do NOT need an agent to process your study visa application or work visa application. Even the Express Entry to Canada which many people pay agents millions of CFA to do for them; these are applications which you can submit yourself. You simply need your valid documents, a strong internet connection and you do the hard work of filling out those forms yourself. You will need to notarize (with a lawyer), a number of documents.
Here are a few practical steps to take when considering traveling for either work or study purposes:
FOR STUDIES:
1- Check that the school actually exists in the first place. Search for their website, then check YouTube for their videos and check who are some of their notable alumni (if it’s a big/renowned school)
2 - Try to find other Cameroonians who have studied there and ask them what steps they took to get admission and travel to said country.
3 - Make sure you are applying for the program you want to study (not the easiest program you can get into)
4 - Find out if they require TOEFL/IELTS scores and whether Cameroon is exempted.
5 - Most schools charge an application fee of roughly 80USD (40,000 CFA) to 100 USD (50,000 USD) but agents often charge millions just for helping you apply and admission is not guaranteed.
6 - NEVER ever pay money to an individual to secure you admission anywhere. Not even your uncle or your best friend.
7 - Create your own bank account (current account) and ask the bank for your credit card. With your card, you can make all payments for TOEFL or application fees directly to the school without needing a middle man who may likely scam you out of milli
