The Home Office has launched an investigation after The Times revealed widespread abuse of the Skilled-Worker system, prompting a statement carried by AOL News on 27 January 2026. Reporters posing as migrants found 26 ‘visa agents’ willing to fabricate employment records and Certificates of Sponsorship in exchange for fees of up to £13,000, enabling clients to gain or extend UK visas without genuine jobs.
According to the exposé, more than 250 questionable CoS had been issued, some linked to shell companies. The rackets appear to exploit sponsors with dormant licences or infiltrate legitimate firms through rogue HR intermediaries. Officials say criminal and civil penalties will follow where fraud is proven, and compliance audits of implicated sponsors have already begun.
![Home Office probes ‘fake-job’ racket exploiting Skilled-Worker route]()
For businesses and applicants seeking legitimate routes, VisaHQ can help navigate the UK Skilled-Worker landscape: its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time document checklists, sponsorship guidance and application tracking, supporting firms in staying compliant and audit-ready.
The scandal renews pressure on the Sponsorship Management System, which the government had planned to replace with the now-abandoned ‘Sponsor UK’ platform. Compliance experts expect a surge in unannounced visits and a clamp-down on dormant licences. Employers are advised to review internal controls, ensure roles advertised match SOC codes and keep robust onboarding evidence.
For global-mobility leaders, reputational risk is as serious as legal exposure: a revoked licence can halt all international hiring. Multinationals should therefore audit third-party recruiters, segregate duty between HR and legal teams and maintain real-time CoS registers to spot anomalies quickly.
According to the exposé, more than 250 questionable CoS had been issued, some linked to shell companies. The rackets appear to exploit sponsors with dormant licences or infiltrate legitimate firms through rogue HR intermediaries. Officials say criminal and civil penalties will follow where fraud is proven, and compliance audits of implicated sponsors have already begun.
For businesses and applicants seeking legitimate routes, VisaHQ can help navigate the UK Skilled-Worker landscape: its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) offers real-time document checklists, sponsorship guidance and application tracking, supporting firms in staying compliant and audit-ready.
The scandal renews pressure on the Sponsorship Management System, which the government had planned to replace with the now-abandoned ‘Sponsor UK’ platform. Compliance experts expect a surge in unannounced visits and a clamp-down on dormant licences. Employers are advised to review internal controls, ensure roles advertised match SOC codes and keep robust onboarding evidence.
For global-mobility leaders, reputational risk is as serious as legal exposure: a revoked licence can halt all international hiring. Multinationals should therefore audit third-party recruiters, segregate duty between HR and legal teams and maintain real-time CoS registers to spot anomalies quickly.
