-By A Special Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News - 07.Oct.2025, 11.00 PM) On a humid afternoon in Batticaloa, a young man scrolls through TikTok videos on his phone. Amidst the dances and beauty hacks, one clip stands out: a smiling agent sitting in an air-conditioned office, promising “a guaranteed UK student visa, no IELTS required, full financial documents provided.” Beneath the post, hundreds of comments flood in — “How much is the fee?”, “Can you help me get to Australia?”, “Please contact me, brother.”
What seems at first like a harmless advert is, in fact, part of a growing underground industry in Sri Lanka — a booming black market of visa agents who promise pathways to study or work in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and now even Singapore and the Middle East. They charge thousands of dollars in “processing fees,” fabricate bank statements, and provide falsified training certificates — all in the name of securing a visa.
What they also provide, increasingly, is reputational damage to Sri Lanka itself.
The last five years have seen an unprecedented outflow of Sri Lankans seeking overseas opportunities. The collapse of the domestic economy, the soaring cost of living, and the devaluation of the rupee have pushed thousands to look abroad — for studies, for work, or simply for survival.
Where opportunity exists, exploitation follows.
Employment agencies and so-called “student visa consultants” have mushroomed across the island — from Colombo to Jaffna, from Kandy to Kalmunai. Their posters adorn tuition centres, internet cafés, and even public buses. They promise “100% visa success,” “financial documentation support,” and “complete processing in just two weeks.”
But behind the glittering promises lies an unregulated jungle. Many of these agents are not licensed, not monitored, and not answerable to any authority. Several operate without even a registered business address.
A senior official from Sri Lanka’s Foreign Employment Bureau, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted:
“There are hundreds of such operators who are neither registered with us nor with the Education Ministry. Some have even managed to send people abroad using fake sponsorships, fake letters, and counterfeit bank documents.”
In one widely discussed case earlier this year, a senior police officer in Sri Lanka allegedly used a forged bank statement provided by a visa agency to obtain a short-term visa to attend his son’s graduation ceremony in London.
The officer later refused to pay the agency the agreed commission — prompting the furious visa provider to leak the details. The dispute landed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after a complaint was filed, revealing a complex web of fraudulent document circulation between local banks, private agencies, and even university “representatives.”
It is not an isolated story.
The problem extends well beyond students. The global demand for care workers, particularly in the United Kingdom, has given rise to a new racket: the “healthcare qualification industry.”
Dozens of Sri Lankans — particularly from the Eastern Province — have reportedly been sent to the UK under the Health and Care Worker Visa category using fraudulent NVQ and English proficiency certificates.
One Colombo-based agency openly advertises on Facebook:
“Don’t worry if you failed IELTS — we will handle the certificate part.”
Investigations by multiple sources have revealed that some so-called “training centres” issue fake completion certificates for healthcare courses in exchange for payments ranging from Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 800,000. The agents then arrange the paperwork with British employers desperate to fill vacancies.
Once in the UK, many of these “trained” carers discover they are wholly unprepared for the job — unable to communicate effectively with patients, unfamiliar with basic hygiene protocols, and lacking even first-aid knowledge.
A British social care recruiter who spoke to LeN under anonymity confirmed:
“We’ve started seeing applicants from Sri Lanka with documents that simply don’t check out. It’s becoming a serious compliance issue for us. The Home Office has already begun flagging certain institutions.”
The damage, however, will not be borne by these rogue agents. It will be borne by ordinary Sri Lankans who apply legitimately — and find themselves under suspicion because of others’ fraud.
Unlike India or the Philippines, Sri Lanka has no unified regulatory framework for overseas education consultants or visa facilitators. Employment agencies fall loosely under the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), but “student visa providers” operate in a legal grey zone.
That gap has allowed hundreds of unlicensed operators to flourish.
According to several diplomatic missions in Colombo, complaints are piling up. The British High Commission, the Australian High Commission, and the Canadian and New Zealand missions have each received “numerous reports” of fraudulent visa applications originating from Sri Lanka, many linked to unregistered consultancies.
An official from one European embassy described the situation bluntly:
“Our visa section is inundated with applications from agencies that claim 100% success. What they actually have is a 100% record of falsified documents.”
The official added that several agencies now under scrutiny have advertised openly on TikTok and Facebook — “promoting migration as if it were a holiday package.”
In the past, fraudulent visa brokers relied on newspaper ads and word-of-mouth. Now, social media has turned the racket into a viral marketplace.
TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are flooded with self-styled “consultants” flaunting designer clothes and boasting of “partnerships” with universities abroad. Many post photos of successful clients holding passports or posing at airports — carefully staged “proof” of success designed to attract desperate students.
One popular Colombo-based TikToker, known only as “Visa King,” regularly uploads videos of himself handing over passports to smiling clients with captions such as “Another student going to London – No IELTS, No problem!”
Behind the glamour lies coercion. Clients are often made to sign contracts that give the agency full control over their visa documents — and charge “processing fees” upwards of Rs. 2 million, non-refundable even if the visa is denied.
The unregulated chaos has created a perfect breeding ground for exploitation.
Without a licensing regime, there is no official oversight of how these agencies operate, what they charge, or what documents they prepare. Even basic requirements — such as verified financial statements and educational credentials — are frequently forged in-house or outsourced to complicit intermediaries.
Several experts argue that Sri Lanka needs to follow the regulatory models of Australia or Malaysia, where all student recruitment agencies must be registered, audited annually, and given a unique identification number.
Dr. Weerasekera, a Colombo-based higher education consultant, believes this could restore credibility:
“Every agent should be licensed through the Education Ministry or the Foreign Ministry, with a unique registration code. Universities and embassies can then verify the authenticity of applications through that database. That’s how you build transparency.”
She adds:
“If we don’t regulate soon, Sri Lanka will earn the same reputation India once had — thousands of fake applications leading to mass visa refusals.”
For genuine students, the consequences are devastating.
When one fraudulent visa is exposed, it casts doubt on hundreds of legitimate ones. Some Sri Lankan applicants have reported being questioned aggressively at visa interviews or subjected to additional document verification simply because of their nationality.
In one case, a student from Kurunegala had her UK visa rejected because the university she claimed to represent in Colombo had no official partnership with the British institution it cited. The student, who had paid nearly Rs. 1.5 million in fees, never recovered her money.
“They told me they were the official partner of a UK university,” she said. “I didn’t know they were just using the logo.”
The psychological and financial toll of such scams is immense. Families sell land, pawn jewellery, or take out loans to send their children abroad — only to discover they have been deceived.
Adding another layer to the problem is the rapid emergence of “international colleges” claiming affiliation with foreign universities. Across Colombo and Galle, billboards announce partnerships with “British,” “Australian,” or “New Zealand” institutions — often without a single official link.
Many such centres are little more than tuition shops renting office space, issuing “foundation diplomas” or “pre-university certificates” that hold no global recognition.
An Education Ministry official said that the number of “international schools” registered in Sri Lanka has nearly tripled since 2020 — but fewer than 20% have valid international accreditation.
“It’s a gold rush,” the official said. “Parents are desperate for a foreign future, and the agents are selling them dreams.”
Experts, educators, and diplomats are now calling for an urgent legislative overhaul to bring order to the chaos.
The proposed framework could include:
Mandatory Licensing: All education consultants and overseas employment agencies must register with the Ministry of Education or the Foreign Ministry and obtain a licence number.
Fee Regulation: The government should set a fee cap for visa consultation and placement services to prevent exploitation.
Financial Audits: Regular inspection of accounts and business operations to detect fraud or overcharging.
Transparency Portal: A public online database listing all registered agencies, their success rates, and disciplinary history.
Inter-Agency Coordination: Collaboration between the SLBFE, Education Ministry, and diplomatic missions to verify the authenticity of documents submitted through Sri Lankan intermediaries.
Name-and-Shame System: Publication of blacklisted or fraudulent agencies, similar to Singapore’s “EduTrust” warning list.
Mandatory Training Certification: Strict enforcement to ensure that all overseas care workers possess verifiable qualifications.
Such reforms, experts argue, will not only protect Sri Lankan citizens but also rebuild international confidence in the country’s workforce and students.
Interestingly, foreign missions in Colombo are among the most eager for regulation. Many are overwhelmed by dubious visa applications and find themselves performing investigative work rather than administrative processing.
Officials from several Western embassies have indicated that they would gladly cooperate with a government-led registration system to verify legitimate agencies.
“It would make everyone’s job easier,” said a visa officer at the British High Commission. “We’d know who we’re dealing with.”
India, once notorious for fraudulent visa consultancies, introduced strict licensing rules after a surge in student visa fraud cases in the mid-2010s. Agencies now require registration under the Ministry of External Affairs, and those caught falsifying documents face criminal prosecution.
Similarly, the Philippines has long maintained a rigorous certification scheme for employment agencies sending domestic or healthcare workers abroad, ensuring each worker’s welfare and training.
Sri Lanka, observers note, has the institutional capability to do the same — but not yet the political will.
Left unchecked, the long-term consequences could be severe.
If embassies begin viewing Sri Lankan applications as high-risk, visa rejection rates could spike — not just for fraudsters, but for legitimate students and professionals. Universities may also hesitate to accept Sri Lankan applicants without additional scrutiny, eroding trust built over decades.
In economic terms, it could undermine the country’s international remittance flow — one of its most vital lifelines.
“We cannot afford to have the entire country’s credibility damaged because of a few dishonest operators,” warned a senior diplomat.
As Sri Lanka attempts to rebuild its post-crisis economy, the dreams of its youth must not be auctioned to the highest bidder. Regulation — not restriction — is the way forward.
By bringing student visa consultants and employment agencies under a clear legal framework, the government can ensure transparency, protect citizens from exploitation, and reassure foreign missions that Sri Lankan applicants are genuine.
Ultimately, this is not only about visas — it’s about credibility.
A well-regulated system, with accountability, inspection, and international cooperation, will allow Sri Lankans to seek education and employment abroad with dignity — not deception.
And as the world watches, the choice before Colombo is clear: regulate now, or risk an entire generation’s future becoming another export in the black market of broken promises.
-By A Special Correspondent
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by (2025-10-07 17:42:46)
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