Migrants offered £100,000 fake portfolios to cheat fast-track UK visa scheme in major immigration scandal

A new investigation has exposed firms offering to help migrants fraudulently secure UK Global Talent visas by fabricating artistic credentials and tech expertise.

An undercover probe found abuse of the fast-track immigration route, which was introduced in 2020 to attract leading scientists, researchers and creative professionals to Britain.

An undercover reporter was offered a comprehensive package costing more than £100,000 by a London-based consultancy, which included commissioning artwork in China, organising exhibitions, arranging media coverage, and providing letters of recommendation, all designed to make applicants appear to be accomplished artists.

The consultant, who identified himself as Peter, later revealed to be Shilong Guan, worked for iCareer Consultancy UK, a firm operating from a co-working space in Canary Wharf.

Its sister company, ADArt Global Ltd, holds registration with the government regulator to provide immigration advice.

Mr Guan told the BBC's undercover reporter, who spoke Mandarin, that his firm would handle the entire production of artworks, with pieces commissioned from artists in Beijing at a lower cost than in the UK.

Clients would receive up to 15 works, with postage from China costing about £1,120.

The "fully inclusive" service, priced at roughly £98,000, plus 20 per cent VAT if paid in sterling, also included arranging exhibitions and securing media reviews of the client's supposed work, with some material backdated to fabricate a longer artistic history.

No client who had taken this complete package had ever been refused, the consultant claimed.

He assured the reporter that having no artistic background and no ability to speak English posed no obstacle whatsoever, according to the BBC.

Officials administering the visa process "don't look at photographs," he told her.

For an additional fee of around £28,000, Mr Guan said he could help the reporter win the Forbes China Future Artists Awards, which would significantly strengthen her application. A refund would be issued if she did not win.

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Forbes confirmed to the BBC that the awards are legitimate and that ADArt, iCareer's sister company, sponsors them.

The investigation also uncovered how fabricated newspaper articles were used to bolster fraudulent applications.

Art critic Molara Wood discovered that her name had been attached to online reviews in the Nigerian Tribune praising the work of two largely unknown artists, despite having no involvement in writing them.

Ms Wood told the BBC: "There is a real problem whereupon fake articles are being implanted onto newspaper websites using bylines of reputable culture journalists."

The two men in question, Silva Ndifon and Adanu Emmanuel Okoko, are believed to be living in the UK.

The Nigerian Tribune said it had identified a staff member who posted the articles without authorisation after being supplied them by an outside individual.

When confronted by the national broadcaster, Mr Guan denied any wrongdoing.

iCareer, through its lawyers, insisted it does not offer visa services and claimed the consultant's employment had ended before his meeting with the reporter, though he remained listed on the company's website until the BBC made contact.

The Home Office said the route was already under review, adding that "the home secretary will take whatever action is needed to stop it being abused."

In response to the BBC's findings, the Home Office has begun revoking visas granted to two Nigerian men who had claimed to be fine art photographers, stating it believes their applications were obtained through deception.

A spokesman described the revelations as "extremely serious," confirming the company behind the package is already under investigation.

They added that they "will not tolerate anyone cheating the UK immigration system".