Fake job offers and paid sponsorship: how the scam works

People lose large sums on fake jobs and paid sponsorship deals every year. The pattern is often the same, a person is offered a job, told a business will sponsor or nominate them, then asked to pay the business or a middleman first. In Australia, selling sponsorship or nomination is unlawful, and payment demands are often the clearest sign that a scam is already in progress.

How the scam usually starts#

Most paid sponsorship scams begin with a job advertisement, a social media message or an introduction through a friend of a friend. The role may look real, the salary may sound normal and the business may have an ABN, a website or a Facebook page.

After the first contact, the story usually shifts quickly from employment to immigration. The person is told the business is willing to sponsor them, nominate them or "guarantee" a visa if they pay a fee to secure the job, cover nomination costs or buy a training package linked to the role.

The scammer may be the supposed employer, a labour hire operator, an offshore consultant or a local intermediary. Sometimes several people appear in the chain. Each person points to someone else as the one handling the visa side, the contract side or the payment side.

That structure can make the arrangement look organised. In practice, it can also make it harder to work out who is actually responsible, and whether anyone involved is lawfully allowed to provide immigration assistance in Australia under s280 of the Migration Act 1958.

What "paid sponsorship" usually looks like in real life#

The payment request is often dressed up in business language. It may be called a sponsorship fee, nomination fee, recruitment fee, training fee, relocation bond, compliance deposit or refundable security.

The label does not change the core issue. If a person is being asked to pay for access to a job offer, sponsorship or nomination, that is a major warning sign. The payment may be requested before any written employment contract, before any proper visa engagement, or before any registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner is identified.

Common versions include:

• A restaurant or trade business says a job is available if a payment is made upfront.
• A labour hire company says a place in a sponsorship "program" can be reserved for a fee.
• A middleman claims to have employers ready to nominate people who can pay.
• A supposed agent says payment to the employer is normal and separate from visa costs.
• A business asks for money to its personal bank account, not the company account.
• A person is told to pay in instalments, often starting with a smaller deposit to create trust.

Sometimes the job exists but the terms are false. The hours, occupation, location or salary may change after money is paid. In other cases there is no real job at all, only a sequence of invoices, excuses and delays until the victim stops asking for progress.

Why the payment request is such a serious warning sign#

Australian migration and workplace rules treat this area seriously because the risks are serious. Selling a job, sponsorship or nomination undermines the integrity of both the labour market and the visa system.

Scammers rely on urgency. They may say the business has a limited quota, a nomination spot is about to expire or another candidate is ready to take the role. The goal is to stop a person from checking whether the operator is genuine, whether the migration help is being given lawfully, and whether the paperwork matches the story.

A second problem is that the person asking for money may not be allowed to give immigration assistance at all. In Australia, giving immigration assistance while unregistered can be a criminal offence under s280 of the Migration Act 1958. Charging for that unregistered assistance is dealt with separately under s281.

If someone says they are a migration agent, their advertising should show their MARN under s25 of the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2021. If someone will act in relation to the Department, Form 956 is commonly used to appoint an authorised recipient or migration agent, and s312A of the Migration Act is relevant to that process.

Promises can also become false document problems. Fake payslips, fake job descriptions, false references or invented work histories can lead to serious consequences under s234 and s245AR of the Migration Act, and Public Interest Criterion 4020 can arise where false or misleading information or bogus documents are involved.

Red flags that show the scam is already moving#

A single warning sign does not prove fraud, but several together are a strong signal to stop and verify. Paid sponsorship scams often have a repeating pattern.

Look closely for these signs:

• The employer or intermediary asks for money before a written contract is issued.
• The payment is for the job, sponsorship, nomination or a "slot".
• The person says a visa is guaranteed. Registered migration agents must not make guarantees under s26 of the Code.
• The migration help is offered by someone with no MARN and no indication they are an Australian legal practitioner.
• The person refuses to give a written service agreement. Registered migration agents must provide one under s42.
• Money is requested before the agreement is signed, which is inconsistent with s51.
• The fee breakdown is vague or bundled into one large amount, rather than itemised. Section 46 requires a proper fee structure.
• Receipts or invoices are missing, which raises concerns under s49.
• The operator wants payment to a personal account, crypto wallet or overseas account.
• The business says not to tell anyone about the payment.
• The job title on the advertisement does not match the role later described.
• The salary, hours or location keep changing.
• The employer wants the worker to repay migration costs through deductions from wages.
• The person asks for blank signed forms or asks someone else to "fix" the paperwork later.
• The operator offers to create documents to make the case "stronger".

Scammers also try to create comfort with partial truth. A company may exist, a director may be real and a business address may be genuine. That does not make the payment demand lawful or safe.

How genuine migration service providers are meant to handle fees and documents#

A lawful process is usually easier to recognise when you know the basic admin steps. Registered migration agents are regulated and must follow the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2021.

Before fees are taken for professional work, a client should first receive the Consumer Guide under s38. The services and fees should then be set out in a written agreement under s42, with a clear fee structure under s46. If money is paid, invoices and receipts should be issued under s49.

If the agent holds client money, the rules around a client account in s50 may apply. The Code also covers returning documents within 14 days in s54 and keeping records for seven years in s56.

These steps do not prove that a visa outcome will be positive. They do help show whether the person handling the migration side is operating within the expected professional framework. If an operator avoids these basic requirements, that is useful information in itself.

If a person wants to verify whether someone is a registered migration agent, the safest step is to check independently, not through a link sent by the operator. VisaBid has a page explaining what to look for at our operator checker.

What to do before any money is paid#

The most effective protection is to pause before transferring funds. Scammers push people to act fast because checking details often exposes the problem.

Practical checks include:

• Confirm who is offering the job, the business itself or a third party.
• Check whether the business contact details match public records and whether the person actually works there.
• Ask for the employment contract and read the role, location, salary and hours carefully.
• Ask who is providing migration assistance, and whether that person is a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.
• Check the MARN independently if one is claimed.
• Ask for an itemised written agreement before any professional fee is paid.
• Be cautious if the largest part of the payment is going to the employer or intermediary rather than for professional services.

If a person wants to compare professional fees from registered migration agents, VisaBid lets applicants describe their situation and receive itemised quotes at our case form. That can help separate migration service fees from unlawful job or sponsorship payments.

It also helps to compare any quoted professional fees with general market ranges. VisaBid's estimator at the cost estimator can be used as a general reference point. A figure far above the normal professional fee range, especially when mixed with employer payments, deserves closer scrutiny.

If money has already been paid#

Once money has been transferred, scammers often become slower, less clear and harder to reach. Replies may switch from daily messages to vague updates about approvals, quotas, nomination caps or waiting on another department.

The first practical step is to gather records. Keep advertisements, contracts, screenshots, emails, invoices, receipts, bank transfer records and voice messages. If documents were provided, keep the original files and note who sent them and when.

If a registered migration agent is involved, the Code requires records and proper documentation, and there is a complaints pathway. VisaBid's page at our complaints guide gives general information on where concerns can be raised.

It is also important not to let anyone "repair" the matter by creating new evidence. Backdated payslips, rewritten duties or false references can turn a scam loss into a false document issue under s234, s245AR and PIC 4020.

Common questions#

Is it legal to pay an employer for visa sponsorship in Australia?#

Selling access to a job, sponsorship or nomination is a serious warning sign and often the centre of the scam. A payment request from an employer or intermediary for sponsorship is not the same as a normal professional fee charged by a registered migration agent or legal practitioner for their own work.

How do I check if a migration agent is real?#

A person claiming to be a registered migration agent should have a MARN, and advertising is meant to show it under s25 of the Code. The safest approach is to check independently using reliable public information, not a screenshot or link supplied by the operator. VisaBid also explains common checks on its our operator checker page.

Can a migration agent guarantee a visa if I pay more?#

No registered migration agent is allowed to guarantee an outcome, and s26 of the Code is directly relevant. A promise that payment will secure approval, priority treatment or a guaranteed grant is a major red flag.

What if they ask me to pay for training or a deposit before the job contract?#

That is a common scam format. The payment may be described as training, a bond or a deposit, but the risk remains high if access to the job or sponsorship depends on paying first, especially where the terms are vague or the migration side is handled by an unregistered person.

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About this guide. This is general information about how a process works in Australia. It is not immigration assistance and it is not advice about your situation. Under section 280 of the Migration Act 1958 only a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner can give you that. Government charges are indexed and most change on 1 July, so check any figure at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, and check any agent on the OMARA register.