YouTube content creators are teaching thousands of potential migrants how to exploit a little-known UK charity visa scheme to bring their entire families to Britain, as small boat crossings reach a record 25,000 arrivals this year.
Immigration lawyers and social media influencers are posting detailed video tutorials explaining how migrants can use the charity worker visa as “leverage” to secure long-term UK residence for themselves and their dependants, whilst also coaching asylum seekers on claims that “almost always win”.
The revelations come as the government faces mounting pressure over immigration control, with more people crossing the English Channel by small boat in 2025 than at any comparable point since the crisis began in 2018.
Nigerian YouTuber Kelvin Ossai, who describes himself as a “lifestyle and relocation content creator”, has shared videos viewed more than 23,000 times explaining how the charity visa route can be exploited. In his tutorials, he specifically highlights how the scheme can be used as “leverage to bring your family into the UK”.
“Most churches in the UK are charity organisations,” Ossai states in one video. “Most of them have the license to sponsor you on a charity visa – don’t say I told you this.” He goes on to detail how dependants represent a “catch” in the rules that can be exploited for long-term settlement.
The charity worker visa, designed for unpaid voluntary work, allows foreigners to work with UK charities for up to 12 months. However, content creators are teaching viewers how to manipulate the system, explaining that whilst the main applicant cannot receive a formal salary, there are numerous workarounds.
Ossai’s videos detail how charity workers can still receive financial support through various means. “Even if you’re working for them for free, your employer can also give you stipends and pay for your transport,” he explains. “They can provide you free accommodation, give you stipends for feeding and all that but it will not be classed as a salary.”
The government maintains a list of approximately 1,400 charities authorised to sponsor visas, with many being churches and religious organisations. Each applicant, including partners and dependants, must pay £319 plus an annual healthcare surcharge and demonstrate savings of at least £1,270.
YouTubers promoting the scheme emphasise that it offers a cheaper alternative to other immigration routes. Crucially, whilst the main visa holder cannot undertake paid employment, their dependants face no such restrictions and can work unlimited hours in any job.
Tochi Esther, another YouTuber with 180,000 subscribers who creates content about “life in the UK”, interviewed a woman who successfully moved her family using the charity visa route. The interviewee revealed how the system can be manipulated for financial gain.
“Luckily for me as a volunteer working in the nursery, I was being paid as a volunteer,” the woman explained in the now-private video. “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 interviewee also outlined how those on charity visas can perform up to 20 hours of voluntary work with organisations other than their visa sponsor, creating additional opportunities for stipends and support.
When contacted by The Sun, Ossai defended his content, stating: “My videos are created to inform and guide skilled professionals on how they can legally move to the UK through existing government-approved visa routes, particularly those targeting shortage occupations.
He added: “Nothing in my content promotes shortcuts or misuse of the system. It’s all about helping people find opportunities that already exist legally. My goal has always been to support ethical migration—helping people understand the rules, follow them, and give back while building a life here.”
Esther similarly defended her videos, claiming they are “based entirely on information published by the UK government” and come with disclaimers stating the content is “strictly informational”.
Beyond the charity visa scheme, immigration lawyers are also posting videos coaching asylum seekers on applications that “almost always win. Sherissa Cupid-Bennett, who describes herself as a UK-based immigration lawyer, has told followers that converting from Islam to another religion represents one of the most reliable methods for successful asylum claims.
In a video titled “3 types of asylum claims with the best chance of success”, she explains that as long as immigration officers believe applicants are truthful about their religious conversion, they are “almost always certain to win the claim”. There is no indication she is coaching applicants to lie or engaging in any wrongdoing.
The emergence of these coaching videos coincides with record numbers of small boat crossings. Official figures show more than 25,000 people have arrived via this route in 2025, marking the highest number at this point in any year since records began.
Immigration experts warn that such online tutorials could be contributing to increased exploitation of legitimate visa schemes designed for genuine charitable work. The charity worker visa was intended to facilitate cultural exchange and support UK charitable organisations, not serve as a backdoor for economic migration.
The revelations raise serious questions about oversight of the charity visa scheme and whether current regulations contain sufficient safeguards against manipulation. With dependants able to work without restrictions and various financial workarounds available, the scheme appears vulnerable to systematic abuse.
As the government grapples with record small boat arrivals and announces new measures to tackle people smuggling, the existence of legal loopholes being actively promoted on social media presents an additional challenge to immigration control efforts.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment regarding these coaching videos and potential reforms to close apparent loopholes in the charity visa scheme.
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