YouTubers are giving migrants tips on how to use visa loopholes to get into the UK, it has been reported. Videos on the giant streaming platform are being posted, revealing how to wannabe UK residents can get charity visas to relocate their families. The clips have amassed tens of thousands of views, according to The Telegraph.
Charity visas are designed to allow foreign nationals to volunteer in the UK for 12 months, but YouTubers have been telling viewers how to use it to bring in dependants, who can then do paid work.
Kelvin Ossai, a Nigerian “lifestyle and relocation content creator”, posted a video for prospective migrants called: “Move to the UK on [a] charity visa for FREE.”
He told his audience: “The good catch here is that while you’re working in the voluntary job and you’re getting [a] stipend, your dependant has unlimited hours to work so they can actually get a full-time job and support the family.”
Mr Ossai adds: “Most churches in the UK are charity organisations. Most of them have the licence to sponsor you on a charity visa… Don’t say I told you this.” In the video, first reported by The Times, Mr Ossai told prospective migrants that they could use their volunteering position and ensuing visa as “a leverage to bring in your family to the UK”.
Mr Ossai told The Telegraph: “When I mention leverage in connection with visa routes, I’m talking about legal, Home Office‑approved pathways like the UK Charity Worker visa.
“Everything I share is based on UK Government policy and aimed at helping people use legal, structured routes to contribute meaningfully to society.”
Another YouTuber, Tochi Esther, interviewed a woman who had relocated her family to the UK using a charity visa.
The interviewee told viewers: “Luckily for me as a volunteer working in the nursery, I was being paid as a volunteer. You still get paid as a volunteer, so I still get paid somehow. My husband can do any type of work… He works anywhere, and as many hours as possible.”
The video was made private after The Times approached Ms Esther for comment. She told the outlet: “The video in question featured a guest sharing her personal experience of obtaining a charity worker visa and relocating to the UK with her family.
“At no point did the video offer immigration advice, nor do I provide such advice on my platform. I clearly stated in the video that it was not immigration advice and that viewers should seek proper guidance from qualified professionals or official sources.”
Meanwhile, according to The Times, Sherissa Cupid-Bennett, who describes herself as a UK-based immigration lawyer, reportedly told TikTok followers that one of the most reliable methods for claiming asylum in the UK was to tell immigration officers that “you converted from Islam to another religion”.
The Times reported that a video called “Three types of asylum claims with the best chance of success” included her telling viewers: “As long as the immigration officer believes you, believes that you are telling the truth and that you converted from Islam to another religion, you are almost always certain to win your asylum claim.
“Also, you have evidence to support your asylum claim. There are news reports, there are news articles that show that there is serious harm in the country of origin if you return because you converted from Islam to another religion.”
There is no suggestion that Ms Cupid-Bennett is advising applicants to lie to UK authorities or commit wrongdoing.
A Home Office spokesman said: “Under our Plan for Change, our upcoming immigration white paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system, which includes cracking down on those who look to exploit our visa routes.
“We keep our visa and asylum systems under constant review to ensure they are not open to exploitation and where we detect trends which may undermine our immigration rules, we will not hesitate to take action.”
