VISA agents are selling fake jobs to migrants to help them stay in the UK, offering paperwork that appears legitimate but is linked to work that does not exist.
In meetings secretly filmed by The Times, agents described how they arrange skilled worker visa sponsorships for migrants at risk of deportation.
On paper, applicants are shown as working for licensed companies in skilled roles, supported by CVs, payroll records and bank statements indicating high salaries.
In reality, the work never takes place. One agent told an undercover reporter that the arrangement involved “only payroll” and said: “We do not have any jobs … We only sell you the CoS [certificate of sponsorship]. That’s it.” According to The Times, migrants are then required to return their “salary” each month to another account, with extra fees on top.
The Times investigation found that sponsorships are sold for between £13,000 and £20,000. Migrants who enter these arrangements are unable to work legally for their sponsor and face removal from the UK if detected. However, the paperwork can later be used to support applications for permanent residency after five years.
Over four months, The Times went undercover to investigate the networks behind the schemes. Reporters spoke to 26 agents and company representatives and documented more than 250 cases of fake jobs being offered. The roles spanned hospitality, logistics, social care, IT, finance, marketing and graphic design.
One agent identified by The Times, Nirav Madhvani, offered sponsorship described as “warehouse without work” for £13,000 over three years. He explained how payroll records would be fabricated, telling the reporter: “On paper everything is, like, proper.” He also said: “Whatever you get paid, you have to pay back the company.”
The probe found that many migrants turning to the black market had originally arrived in the UK legally but later lost their sponsorship, giving them 60 days to find new work or leave the country. Others were international students seeking to remain after their graduate visas ended.
The skilled worker visa scheme, introduced in 2020, allows licensed employers to sponsor migrants for eligible roles. In its first three years, about 931,000 skilled workers and dependants arrived. The investigation found evidence that tighter rules and fewer legitimate vacancies have helped drive demand for fraudulent sponsorships.
After being contacted by The Times, the government said it would open an urgent investigation.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are investigating this illegal activity and it will not be tolerated.”
