A Visa for £50,000": The Underground Business Helping Pakistanis Cheat Their Way into the UK

Introduction

Date: July 25, 2025

“You don’t need to study, you don’t need a real job—we’ll handle everything. Just pay and you’re in.”

That’s what one visa agent in Mirpur, Pakistan told an undercover reporter from The Telegraph, who posed as a young man dreaming of life in Britain.

 The catch? A price tag of £50,000, the cost of buying your way into the UK with fake documents, fake job offers, and a perfectly polished application.

For many, it's a once-in-a-lifetime gamble. And for some, it works.

But behind the promises of a better life is a growing web of deceit that’s putting the UK immigration system under severe pressure, and making life harder for genuine migrants who follow the rules.

Inside the Scam

It starts with a conversation. You tell the agent you want to go to the UK. You don’t have the right qualifications? No problem. You don’t speak English fluently? Doesn’t matter. Can’t show enough money in your bank account? They’ll fix it.

Everything, right down to your fake work history—is tailored to fit the UK’s Skilled Worker visa rules. One of the fixers even said they work with people at fake hospitals or companies in Pakistan who provide glowing reference letters on official-looking letterheads.

“You'll have a visa in 6–8 weeks,” they said. “Success rate? 98%.”

For £50,000, you get:

• A fake job offer from a non-existent UK company
• Forged bank statements showing you’re financially stable
• A CV that looks perfect on paper
• Help applying online, with step-by-step coaching

Once the visa is granted, the person lands in the UK legally. But here's the twist: instead of taking up the job they supposedly got, many immediately apply for asylum, claiming they face danger or persecution back home.

This move effectively buys them time. Their case can take months or years to be decided, during which they often receive free housing, government support, and protection from deportation.

Why People Do It

For families in rural Pakistan, especially in areas like Mirpur, where many already have relatives in the UK, this isn't just a scam. It's an escape plan.

Selling land, borrowing from family, or going into lifelong debt, many see the £50,000 price as a trade-off for a future in Britain. It's not just about money, it's about dignity, education for their kids, and a chance to leave behind poverty or limited opportunities.

“We know it’s wrong,” one migrant told a Pakistani journalist anonymously. “But the legal way takes years, and most of us never get through. This way… at least we have a shot.”

A System Under Strain

But while this might seem like a lifeline to the people paying for it, the ripple effects are being felt thousands of miles away in the UK.

The UK Home Office is now investigating dozens of suspicious visa applications believed to be tied to this scam. Officials have already suspended several license holders, UK-based sponsors and employers who were part of the fraud.

They're also pushing for stricter screening, tougher checks on documents, and even a return to face-to-face interviews, especially for applicants from high-risk regions.

“This isn't just some small-time visa bending," said one immigration officer. "This is organised, calculated fraud on a global scale.”

The problem? The system was built on trust. Most applications are processed online, with no real-time interviews. That means if someone hands in convincing documents, even if they're fake, they often slip through.

The Numbers Tell the Story

In 2024, over 108,000 people applied for asylum in the UK—the highest number in decades.

Of those, around 10,500 were from Pakistan. And nearly 40,000 asylum seekers that year had entered initially with a legitimate visa, like a student or work permit.

This shift, from crossing borders illegally to "gaming" legal pathways, is now at the heart of the immigration debate.

And it's not just about paperwork. It's about fairness.

People who've waited years, taken English exams, submitted bank records, and passed interviews now find themselves stuck behind applicants who lied about their background, and are now protected by lengthy asylum proceedings and appeal rights.

The Real Victims

Ironically, the biggest losers in this growing racket may not be the UK government, or even British taxpayers.

It's the honest migrants.

Students with genuine acceptance letters. Workers with fundamental skills and experience. Families looking to reunite through lawful means.

Because of the rise in fraudulent applications, even they are now facing stricter rules, longer wait times, and increased suspicion. One rejected student said, "I did everything right. But because others lied, now everyone's under the microscope.”

Can the System Be Fixed?

The Home Office says it's taking action. Investigations are ongoing. Visa sponsors are being reviewed. Policies are being re-evaluated. There's also growing political pressure to clamp down on so-called "legal-entry asylum abuse.”

That could mean:

• Stricter rules for visa switching (from work or student to asylum)
• Better cooperation with overseas governments, especially Pakistan
• Harsher penalties for agents and applicants who are caught
• Reinstating face-to-face interviews for suspicious applications

But experts warn that unless the root causes are addressed, like poverty, desperation, and the lack of accessible legal routes, the scam will keep evolving.

The Bottom Line

At its core, this isn't just a story about fake paperwork. It's a story about broken systems on both sides.

A system in Pakistan where people feel their only hope is to lie.

And a system in Britain where good intentions and open doors have become easy targets for exploitation.

For every person who cheats the system, there's someone else left behind. And for every success story built on forged documents, there's another one that gets buried under bureaucracy.

As the UK tries to rebuild trust in its immigration rules, one thing is clear: shortcuts may look like a way out, but in the long run, they only make it harder for everyone.