Migrants in the UK treated as cash-cows: eye-watering visa fee rise kicking in from 4 October
Migrants in the UK treated as cash-cows: eye-watering visa fee rise kicking in from 4 October
- On 4 October, many of the visa fees migrants must pay to live in the UK will rise significantly, with further rises expected later in the year.[1] [2]
- Fees are expected to increase even further in the near future, with the Immigration Health Surcharge[3] set to rise from £624 to £1,035 per year[4].
- From 2024, a family of four on a 10-year route to settlement could be facing a bill of more than £14,000 every 30 months - an increase of almost 50% on the current cost.
Recent research indicates that visa fees have already plunged entire families into debt, homelessness, and exploitative working conditions.[5]
Migrant rights charity Praxis is warning that the above-inflation rise in fees risks pushing even more migrant households into debt.
Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, Praxis Policy and Public Affairs Manager, had this to say:
“UK visa fees are already some of the highest in the world – far higher than in comparable countries like Germany, Canada and the US. This is because the Government charges people well above the actual cost of processing their applications – in some cases up to four times the real cost.
Even before this latest rise, migrant households were struggling with exorbitant visa fees. We know from research carried out last year that the price of renewing a visa is a key factor in pushing households into debt.
We’re really concerned that these fee rises will leave thousands of people who’ve been living and working in our communities for years into debt, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and at risk of losing their lawful immigration status if they can’t pay.
There is a fairer way. Instead of raising fees still further, the Government should cut visa fees so that people are only expected to cover the actual cost of processing their visa.”
Anna Berry*, a person with experience of the migration system and a campaigner with Praxis NRPF Action group, had this to say:
“This Government is treating us like cash cows, but the truth is that we’re already living from hand to mouth. This visa fee hike is the last straw which will push so many of us into utter destitution – when the full set of new fees kicks in, we will be expected to pay almost £4,000 every two and a half years just to live in our homes.
We are facing impossible decisions – whether to feed our children and pay our rent, or save for the next round of visa fees. What this measure will do is ensure that we can’t raise our head above the water for years.
This is a racist move that will likely impact black and brown communities the most – people that are already struggling to stay afloat.
Making us pay more than the administrative cost to renew our leave to remain is unfair. To kick us when we’re down during a cost of living crisis is outright inhumane.
This Government should reverse their decision and charge us administrative costs for renewing our visas, instead of seeing us as an endless source of profit.”
*name has been changed
[1] The fees rising today include those for Indefinite Leave to Remain, rising from £2,404 to £2,885, and for naturalisation, rising from £1,250 to £1,500. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-visa-fees-set-to-come-into-effect-next-month
[2] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak presented this as a means to fund pay rises for public sector workers. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/16/borderline-racist-rishi-sunak-plan-to-fund-pay-rises-by-hiking-migrant-fees
[3] This is a fee that migrants must pay when they apply for leave to remain, and it’s channelled towards the NHS. Migrants must pay this fee even if they work and contribute towards the NHS through their taxes.
[4] These costs are for adult applicants.
[5] https://www.praxis.org.uk/briefings/experiences-on-the-10-year-route-to-settlement