Visa fees: 'Cash cows and political footballs'

Visa fees: 'Cash cows and political footballs'

More ammunition for the campaign for a government re-think on Britain’s exorbitant visa renewal fees — which are among the highest in the world — has come from ongoing Migrant Voice research. 

The evidence is already clear that the cost of visas has hugely damaging financial, health, familial and social effects on those paying them.

Many families are forced into poverty and debt to pay for the costs. Visa fees price them out of their rights, and reduce their children’s life chances.

Migrants wanting to settle in the UK must live here for at least five years before they can apply for permanent residence, but many are placed on the longer “10-year route” for settlement, doubling the costs and putting migrants in positions of far greater uncertainty and vulnerability.

Two-thirds of migrants in a recent survey said they had been forced into debt to pay their visa costs, with debts of up to £30,000 reported. One said, “I feel like we're treated as cash cows and political footballs. 

“No one in the British public cries out if the Immigration Health Surcharge increases to over £1,000 per year. Most people are not even aware how we are being treated and yet [they say] we are to blame for the dire state Britain is in, not the policies of decades by both main political parties.” 

Another migrant giving evidence for the survey said, “It’s obviously quite frightening and difficult to have essentially no safety net to fall back on. We had some issues in the past where we could not pay our rent or purchase groceries, but we were not entitled to any support at all despite having a history of paying tax.” [Most migrants are covered by a policy called ‘no recourse to public funds’, which denies them the ability to get state support.]

Commented another: “It was a slap to the face when they announced a new threshold increase for family visas.” [From April 2024 the minimum income threshold for a UK family visa rose from £18,600 to £29,000 per year.] 

“It sends a strong message that the UK is not tolerant of international, intercultural, and interracial relationships. 

“We felt penalised and targeted because of my visa situation despite the fact we are in well-paid employment and contributed to taxes and National Insurance etc.” 

The usual defence for massive high visa costs is that offered by Seema Malhotra, the Minister for Migration and Citizenship: “Any income from fees set above the cost of processing is utilised for the purpose of running the Migration and Borders system”, thus reducing reliance on taxpayer funding.

Yet visa fees are set at 7-10 times the actual processing costs. 

Migrant Voice has been campaigning for a reduction in these costs since 2020. Every day migrants face poverty and destitution as they scrimp and save for fees. Families have been ripped apart, children denied opportunities. 

Migrant Voice’s campaign aims to change the system and ensure that migrants are treated fairly and with respect. We urge government to:

• introduce a quicker, simpler, less stressful visa application process     
• ensure that visa fees are no higher than the administration cost, with no fees for children
• abolish the Immigration Health Surcharge
• cap all routes to settlement at 5 years
• cut waiting times and improve communication from the Home Office

MIGRANT VOICES ON VISA FEES

'It impacts every area of our lives. Relationships have been impacted as at one stage we were homeless and family members wanted to help but had their own situations. We have borrowed money from friends and family and it’s stressful asking for money from anyone.

My husband’s mental health has been impacted and he suffers from depression due to the stresses of immigration and has not been able to provide for the family.

Children have been impacted as they would have loved to go to university but due to NRPF [No Recourse to Public Funds] and no settled status universities were reluctant to give them places unless prepared to pay international fees, yet they have grown up here.

Family have died back in country of origin, and due to pending visa applications [we] have not been able to travel and bury loved ones.

We have lost our goods in storage as we could not pay for them. It’s been a vicious cycle, these immigration issues, and cause stress.’

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‘The cost and uncertainty and inability to plan ahead and incredible anxiety knowing a simple bureaucratic error could result in our being ripped apart as a couple.’

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‘I was very depressed and suicidal and anxious and insomniac. I couldn’t live my life. I had no support because no one understood what I was going through or cared to learn.’

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‘With the increase in the IHS fee and visa fee it's going to be almost £12k for us to be together. That's an insane amount of money to take from someone to be with family.’ 

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‘It’s taken a long time to get in a stable place, during which time we’ve had 3 children. It’s hard work: always the next application hanging over you. Always that doubt and fear at the back of your mind.’

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Photo credit: Migrant Voice