UK to criminalise fake visa sponsorship adverts in crackdown on illegal migration

LONDON Jan 30: The British government on Thursday announced a new law that will make it a criminal offence to advertise the sale of false visa sponsorships, following an undercover media investigation that found fake jobs being openly promoted online to help migrants fraudulently obtain skilled worker visas.

An investigation by The Times alleged that agents were secretly filmed offering “certificates of sponsorship” linked to non-existent jobs, enabling visa applicants to meet Home Office salary requirements on paper. According to the report, complex chains of bank transfers involving thousands of pounds were used to create the appearance of legitimate salaries that did not exist in reality.

“From next week, advertising the sale of false visa sponsorships through online adverts will become a standalone criminal offence, thanks to laws introduced by this government,” a Home Office spokesperson said.

“Anyone convicted could face an unlimited fine. These cases will be investigated alongside related instances of illegal working, as we have zero tolerance for fraudsters exploiting our immigration system,” the spokesperson added.

While the new offence comes into force on Monday, selling sponsorship linked to fake jobs is already illegal under existing legislation. However, The Times said its investigation uncovered a “mushrooming economy” of intermediaries charging large sums for unlawful visa sponsorships, with hundreds of fake roles allegedly offered by organised criminal networks.

Journalists reported that unregulated agents claimed to help applicants secure visas using sponsorship certificates issued by companies approved by the Home Office.

“Over four months, The Times went undercover to investigate the networks behind these schemes. We spoke to 26 agents and company representatives selling sponsorship and documented more than 250 instances of fake jobs being offered,” the newspaper said. The roles spanned sectors including hospitality, logistics, social care, IT, finance, marketing and graphic design.

The skilled worker visa route was introduced in 2020 under the Conservative government led by then prime minister Boris Johnson and later expanded to address labour shortages, particularly in social care.

The scheme allows migrant workers, including those from India, to be sponsored by one of around 87,000 approved employers for “skilled” roles, such as managerial positions or jobs on the shortage occupation list, including nursing.

Since then, the route has been tightened, with higher minimum salary thresholds, restrictions on care workers and the removal of eligibility for more than 100 medium-skilled roles. Critics say these changes have fuelled a black market targeting migrants seeking permanent residency or indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which is currently available after five years in the UK—a period the government plans to double.

Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the Work Rights Centre charity, said many migrants were being driven towards illegal routes after failing to secure legitimate sponsorship. She criticised the authorities for revoking sponsorship licences rather than prosecuting rogue firms, calling the approach “outrageous”.

The Labour government said that since taking office after the July 2024 general election, it has carried out more than 17,400 enforcement visits and made over 12,300 arrests, representing increases of 77 per cent and 83 per cent respectively. It also highlighted the Online Safety Act, which requires social media platforms to proactively remove illegal content, including material linked to illegal immigration and people smuggling.

Failure to comply can result in penalties of up to 10 per cent of a company’s global revenue or £18 million, whichever is higher.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has described tackling rising levels of legal and illegal migration as her “moral mission”, with tougher visa and residency rules set to be introduced in the coming months.

Opposition Conservatives seized on the investigation’s findings, describing them as “shocking”. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the revelations showed that “fraudsters are enabling immigrants to enter or remain in the country illegally at will”, and called on Mahmood to urgently address what he described as “rampant fraud”.