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10h ago

UK to Tighten Charity Visa Rules After Influencers Coach Migrants on Loopholes

The Home Office will set out new controls in its white paper after media exposed online tutorials showing migrants how to exploit the charity volunteer visa to relocate dependants eligible for paid work.

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Kelvin Ossai, who offers advice on the charity visa route, calls himself a “relocation content creator”
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Overview

  • YouTube and TikTok influencers such as Kelvin Ossai and Tochi Esther have posted tutorials explaining how migrants can use the UK’s charity volunteer visa to sponsor dependants who are eligible to work and access stipends.
  • The charity volunteer visa permits foreign nationals to volunteer in the UK for up to 12 months under sponsorship from some 1,400 registered charities, subject to a £319 application fee, a healthcare surcharge and proof of £1,270 in savings.
  • Charity visa applications climbed from 1,983 in 2023 (80% approved) to 2,775 in 2024 (62% approved), while dependants’ applications reached 3,442 with 2,574 visas issued in the latest data period.
  • Immigration advisers on TikTok and YouTube, including lawyer Sherissa Cupid-Bennett, have counseled asylum seekers to claim conversion from Islam to another religion to bolster their chances of approval.
  • A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that its forthcoming immigration white paper will propose measures to seal the loopholes exposed by online coaching and strengthen controls on visa and asylum routes.