It's not just a way for landing a job either. It's also a ticket for white collar immigration on "specialist" visas that have a much shorter waiting list, highe

It's not just a way for landing a job either. It's also a ticket for white collar immigration on "specialist" visas that have a much shorter waiting list, higher quota or better perks than regular work-based visas. I was blown away the first time I heard people talking openly about this in my field - it was considered totally normal for them to pay money to have an academic portfolio constructed on their behalf specifically for the purpose of having these "published papers" and "unique research" on their record so they could qualify for "specialist" visas. It adds a whole nother layer to the warped idea of good immigrants vs bad immigrants.