A study found that brokers in South Asia are getting appointments for UK visas and selling them for more than $900 on the black market. The Guardian says this is because too many people are trying to get appointments. The brokers promise to help quickly, especially for students who want to study in the UK.
Even though the UK wants people to come for appointments, the brokers have found ways to cheat. Some use computer programs to get appointments as soon as they are available, and others watch the booking website closely.
The UK Home Office says the brokers are booking appointments they don’t need, then canceling them and selling them for more money. The authorities are trying to stop this.
This problem is especially bad in Pakistan, where people say they can’t get appointments without the brokers. People are asking the government to do something about this.
VFS Global, which manages the visa applications, says they see more of this in Pakistan but that they are helping the UK Home Office stop it. They also say this isn’t as big of a problem in other countries.
UK visa appointments, Black market brokers, System backlog, Students affected, UK visa system