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Summary
A BBC investigation has exposed large-scale visa fraud in the UK care sector, with Kelvin Alaneme and other agents illegally selling job placements and issuing fake sponsorships. Victims paid thousands for non-existent jobs, and fraudulent recruiters used fake payrolls to bypass detection. The UK government has since revoked hundreds of licenses and tightened recruitment rules to curb abuse.
Kelvin Alaneme. Photo source: Kelvin Alaneme/X
A BBC undercover investigation has exposed a fraudulent visa scheme exploiting foreign workers seeking jobs in the UK care sector. The investigation revealed that Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian doctor and founder of the Essex-based agency CareerEdu, along with other recruiters, was illegally selling job placements, issuing fake sponsorship documents, and profiting from vulnerable applicants.
In the documentary posted on Mar. 31, 2025, Kelvin Alaneme attempted to recruit a BBC journalist posing as a UK-based recruiter, offering £2,000 per care home vacancy and a £500 commission per placement. He admitted that foreign workers should not be charged for jobs but justified the practice, claiming it was often their only way into the UK.
Victims of the scheme included Praise, a Nigerian who paid over £10,000 for a job at Clacton-on-Sea-based Efficiency for Care. Upon arrival in the UK, he discovered that the job did not exist. Despite months of waiting, he never secured work through the agency. BBC findings also showed that Efficiency for Care issued 1,234 Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) between March 2022 and May 2023, despite only employing 152 people in 2023. The Home Office revoked its sponsorship license in July 2023, although the company continues to operate.
Kelvin also described more advanced scams, including fake payroll systems designed to create the illusion of employment. He claimed that CoS documents could allow workers to “live anywhere in the UK,” contradicting legal requirements that tie visa holders to specific employers.
Another recruiter, Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, was caught selling fake CoS documents for construction jobs, charging as much as £42,000 for three placements. He admitted that tighter regulations in the care sector had pushed fraudsters into other industries, such as IT. His sponsorship license has since been revoked.
The UK government has intensified its crackdown on visa fraud, revoking over 470 licenses in the care sector since 2022. From Apr. 9, 2025, care providers in England must prioritize hiring international workers already in the UK before recruiting from abroad. The Home Office has condemned the fraudulent schemes, vowing “strong action against shameless employers” who exploit the visa system.
