Illegal visa network making millions fleecing students

The UK’s care sector, including care homes and agencies, had a record number of vacancies in 2022 with 165,000 posts unfilled.

A global network has fleeced students out of tens of thousands of pounds for worthless visa documents they hoped would enable them to work in the UK.

A BBC investigation has found middlemen working as recruitment agents preyed on international students who wanted jobs in the care industry.

The students paid up to £17,000 each for sponsorship certificates that should have been free.

When they applied for skilled worker visas, their paperwork was rejected by the Home Office for being invalid.

We have seen documentation that shows one man, Taimoor Raza, sold 141 visa documents - most of which were worthless - for a total of £1.2m.

He denies doing anything wrong and has paid back some of the money to students.

Mr Raza rented offices and hired staff in the West Midlands and promised dozens of students work in care homes and employment sponsorship.

We have been told he began selling legitimate documents and that a handful of students obtained visas and genuine jobs.

But many more lost their entire savings on worthless paperwork.

The UK’s care sector, including care homes and agencies, had a record number of vacancies in 2022 with 165,000 posts unfilled.

The government widened the net for recruitment by allowing international applications, leading to a boom in interest from the likes of India, Nigeria and The Philippines.

Applicants must have an eligible sponsor, such as a registered care home or agency, and jobseekers should not have to pay a penny for their sponsorship.