Several companies have been helping migrants apply for UK visas under the government’s Global Talent program by creating fake art portfolios, complete with fake published art criticism and art news, according to a new investigation published by the BBC Friday.
Nigerian art critic Molara Wood told the publication that she had found her name attached to fake online reviews praising the works of two obscure artists, just one instance of the materials created.
“There is a real problem whereupon fake articles are being implanted onto newspaper websites using bylines of reputable culture journalists,” Wood told the BBC. Following the BBC’s investigation, two Nigerian men’s visas are in the process of being revoked, according to the Home Office. The two claimed to be fine art photographers in their visa applications.
One BBC reporter went undercover to research the companies offering packages through the Global Talent program. The firm said it could supply the reporter with artwork produced in China, as well as arrange exhibitions, media coverage and letters of recommendation. The reporter had been reassured that the “fully inclusive” would grant them a visa without refusal—the package was priced at more than £100,000 ($132,000). The Home Office told the BBC that the company the reporter had dug out was already under investigation. A spokesperson for the Home Office said that they “will not tolerate anyone cheating the UK immigration system” and the “home secretary will take whatever action is needed to stop it being abused.”
The government’s Global Talent program was launched in 2020 and was designed to attract creative workers, including scientists and artists. However, in recent years, it has become a way for companies to target wealthy migrants looking to move without going through the official route, which has become challenging in the UK following new immigration laws.
In another case, a woman said she worked with a company to help her secure a talent visa through the tech route. The company had used fabricated evidence for her application, including a fictitious mentoring award and materials falsely suggesting that she had been a keynote speaker at an event. In the end, her application was rejected.
The companies offering talent visas have been targeting all nationalities. The BBC found two companies in its investigation: iCareer Consultancy and its sister company, ADArt Global Ltd, based out of London’s corporate hub, Canary Wharf, offering fake artwork and immigration advice. During a call with an undercover BBC reporter, an iCareer consultant said that four of his clients obtained a visa this year and that they can supply the reporter with an employee to pose as a client and network for them at gallery openings. The company also said that for £28,000 ($37,000), they can offer a Chinese art award sponsored by Forbes magazine, boosting their chances of securing a visa.
iCareer told the BBC through its lawyers that it strongly denied “offering any visa services whatsoever” and that meeting with the consultant “was not authorized by iCareer.”
“We do not endorse the representations or purported services attributed to him,” the company said.
