If anyone asks you to pay for a UK job offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), treat it as a scam. Licensed UK sponsors must pay their sponsorship costs themselves and can lose their licence if they ask the worker to pay. And since 22 July 2025, UK employers cannot sponsor care workers or senior care workers from overseas at all, so a “care home visa” offer to someone in Pakistan is a major warning sign.
How genuine UK work sponsorship works
- A UK employer holds a sponsor licence from the Home Office and appears on the public register of licensed sponsors.
- The employer offers you a real job that meets the skill, salary and other rules for the route.
- The employer assigns you a CoS. Each certificate has its own reference number, which you use to apply.
- You apply yourself on GOV.UK, pay the official fees through the official service and give your biometrics at a UK visa application centre.
- UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) decides. If you are granted, your status is held as an eVisa.
You also need to prove your English. For new Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker applications, the level rose to B2 on 8 January 2026. Our guides to the Skilled Worker visa and sponsorship requirements explain the rest.
Red flags that point to a scam
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| You are asked to pay for the CoS, a “job fee” or a “sponsorship charge” | GOV.UK says the sponsor must pay the CoS fee and the Immigration Skills Charge, and its licence may be revoked if it asks the worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to its application |
| A care worker or senior care worker job offered to you in Pakistan | From 22 July 2025 these roles cannot be sponsored for people applying from outside the UK |
| A “guaranteed” visa | Only UKVI decides, and nobody can guarantee the outcome |
| Payment to a personal account, a mobile wallet, cash or crypto | GOV.UK says you will never be asked to pay for a visa using cash or money transfer |
| “No IELTS needed”, no interview, no questions about your skills | Most applicants from Pakistan must prove English at B2 for Skilled Worker; real employers assess candidates |
| Emails from free email addresses claiming to be the Home Office, or a “work permit” certificate to buy | You apply for a visa yourself on GOV.UK; there is no separate permit to purchase first |
| Pressure to pay today because “places are nearly full” | Urgency is how scammers stop you checking |
How to check an employer on the register
- Open the register of licensed sponsors: workers on GOV.UK. It is updated very often, usually several times a week.
- Search for the exact company name. Check the town and that the licence covers the Skilled Worker route.
- Find the company’s own website and phone number independently, and contact them to confirm the job. Do not use the contact details on the offer.
- Remember that a name on the register does not prove the job is real. Scammers often borrow the names of genuine licensed companies.
How UKVI really communicates
You apply and pay through GOV.UK and attend the official visa application centre for biometrics. Nobody from UKVI will phone or WhatsApp you asking for money to “release” a visa or clear a “security check”. Treat any request like that as fraud, and never share your UKVI account login or the codes sent to your phone or email.
If you have already been scammed
- Stop paying. Scammers often ask for a second or third “final” fee.
- Keep everything: receipts, bank transfer slips, chat screenshots, phone numbers, email addresses and any documents they sent you.
- Tell your bank straight away in case a transfer can be stopped.
- In Pakistan, file a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) through its online complaint portal, complaint.fia.gov.pk. The FIA investigates visa fraud and human smuggling.
- In the UK, GOV.UK says to report visa and immigration scams to Report Fraud. Illegal working or other immigration crime by a UK business can be reported, anonymously if you prefer, through Report an immigration or border crime.
- If the “agent” claimed to be UK-regulated, check the Immigration Advice Authority’s register through Find an immigration adviser. GOV.UK warns you cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated.
If an agent submitted a fake document or false information in your name, get proper advice before you apply again. Under the Immigration Rules, an application can be refused because of false documents even when a third party supplied them, and if the officer finds that you used deception, future applications are refused for 10 years.
Legitimate routes to consider
- Skilled Worker: a real job with a licensed sponsor, at the right skill level and salary, with B2 English.
- Health and Care Worker: for eligible roles such as doctors and nurses. Care worker and senior care worker roles are closed to applicants outside the UK.
- Student, then Graduate: study at a licensed university, then work after you finish. See our guide to the Graduate visa.
- Seasonal Worker: temporary work (up to 6 months in horticulture) through a licensed sponsor. Check the sponsor on the same register.
Common mistakes we see from Pakistan applications
- Trusting job adverts in Facebook or WhatsApp groups without checking the employer independently.
- Paying a “small registration fee” first, which then grows.
- Sending passport and CNIC scans to agents you have never met.
- Assuming a real company name means a real offer.
- Letting an agent upload documents you have not seen, which can lead to a deception refusal in your name.
FAQ
Can a UK employer charge me for my Certificate of Sponsorship?
No. The sponsor must pay the CoS fee and the Immigration Skills Charge itself. Asking you to pay puts its licence at risk. You do pay your own visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge, and only through GOV.UK.
Can I still get a UK care worker visa from Pakistan?
No. Since 22 July 2025 care worker and senior care worker roles can only be sponsored for people already in the UK who meet transitional conditions.
How do I know my CoS is genuine?
Confirm the employer on the GOV.UK register, then contact the company through its own official details and ask them to confirm the job and the CoS. A reference number sent by an agent is not proof on its own.
I paid an agent and got nothing. Can I still apply properly?
Usually yes, if nothing false was submitted in your name. Report the fraud, keep your evidence, and make any future application yourself with a genuine sponsor.
Applying from Pakistan? Send us a few lines about your case and we will tell you which route fits and what to prepare.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Rules and fees change; check GOV.UK before you apply.