A woman has been accused of scamming a migrant graduate of £14,500 in an alleged Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and document-fraud scheme connected to Affordable Care At Home Ltd, a UK care provider whose sponsor licence has since been revoked.
Oluwafumilayo Elizabeth Ayoola, originally from Nigeria, is alleged to have acted as a middle person, collecting money from the victim in exchange for a promised job and visa sponsorship, and facilitating the creation of documents intended to make the visa application appear genuine.
Amid tightening UK immigration rules and shrinking legal pathways to work, migrants are increasingly falling victim to sponsorship scams, with jobseekers targeted by intermediaries promising CoS for cash.
The alleged victim, Micheal Austen, said: “I was introduced to Oluwafumilayo Elizabeth through a church member, Opeoluwa Ojumu, whom I believed acted in good faith.
“I was informed that the total cost to secure a CoS would be £14,500, so I paid an initial £8,000, followed by the remaining balance shortly before I was told that the CoS had been issued.”
According to the 40-year-old Nigerian man, he did not personally hand the cash to Elizabeth. Instead, Ms Ojumu and Mr. Koyejo acted as witnesses and delivered the money while he waited in the car as Ms. Ayoola did not want to meet the client in person at the time. Although, he tells us they later met and she acknowledged payment.
Elizabeth allegedly assured those present that if anything went wrong, the money would be refunded, and that she “always refunds” where a placement fails.
After receiving his CoS in late May, Micheal said he was instructed by Affordable Care Home not to apply for his Skilled Worker visa immediately and to “wait a bit,” despite his post-study work visa almost expiring.
“I didn’t understand why they were telling me to wait, but I followed their instruction,” he said.
He applied in early July 2025, but two weeks later received an email from the Home Office stating that a decision could not be made because they were waiting for the sponsoring company to make payment for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
Micheal further stated that repeated attempts to contact alleged scammers, Elizabeth and the company directly were ignored or dismissed. At one point, he spoke to a man said to work for Affordable Care At Home, who was rude and told him not to disturb him.
“I was left in limbo,” Micheal said. “I cannot sleep properly. I am always anxious. I feel trapped. I came here legally, I studied, I did everything right, and now I am stranded because of this.”
In the first week of October, he discovered that Affordable Care At Home Ltd’s sponsor licence had been revoked. Shortly afterward, the Home Office informed him that his visa would be refused because the company’s licence was no longer valid, and that he would need to make a new application to remain lawfully in the UK.
Micheal has a fresh application and is seeking legal advice. He insists he wants a full refund of the £14,500 and disclosure of the company owner or manager’s identity.
“If she cannot refund me herself, then she should give me the name of the person she paid the money to,” he said.
Allegation of Payslip Manipulation
Micheal further alleges that Affordable Care At Home Ltd generated a payslip in his name even though he had never worked for the company at the time, in order to make his visa application appear genuine.
He said Elizabeth who stood as the middle person told him they would doctor a one-month payslip before he applied for the Skilled Worker visa, claiming it was required to show that he had resumed employment and that it was one of the documents the Home Office expects to see.
“I was not a staff member. I had never worked for them,” Micheal said.
According to him, the company asked him to transfer £800 into their company account, after which they would send the same money back to him as “salary”, thereby creating a transaction trail to support the payslip.
Micheal says he complied and has retained screenshots, receipts, and proof of payment showing the £800 transfer.
This allegation is particularly notable because Affordable Care At Home Ltd states on its website that it does not accept payment for employment.
We contacted Oluwafunmilayo Elizabeth Ayoola, Affordable Care At Home Ltd, Opeoluwa Ojemu and Koyejo for comment.
At the time of publication, none have responded.
Paying for CoS Is Illegal
Under UK immigration rules, it is unlawful for an employer or agent to demand or accept payment in exchange for a job offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Sponsors are prohibited from passing sponsorship costs to workers, and doing so can lead to licence suspension or revocation, civil penalties, and criminal investigation.
Experts warn that any request for money in exchange for a CoS is a strong indicator of fraud.
A Widespread Problem
Cases like Micheal’s reflect a growing pattern of alleged CoS-for-cash scams, particularly within the care sector.
Migrant support organisations and immigration advisers report receiving frequent complaints from individuals who have paid thousands of pounds for sponsorship that later proves to be fake, invalid, or linked to companies that lose their sponsor licences.
Many victims do not report their experiences due to fear of immigration consequences, shame, or lack of access to legal support.
Desperation Driven by Policy Changes
Recent tightening of immigration rules, higher salary thresholds, reduced dependants’ rights, and stricter sponsor compliance checks have made legitimate sponsorship harder to obtain.
Advocates say these changes, combined with long processing times and limited employment options for graduates, are pushing desperate migrants into risky situations, where they become vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous agents and rogue employers.
For Micheal, the consequences are immediate and personal.
“I did everything right,” he said. “Now I don’t have a job, I don’t have a visa, and I don’t have my money. I just want my life back.”
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