The true cost of visas - our parliamentary report launch

The true cost of visas - our parliamentary report launch

19.05.2026

Migrant Voice launches its new report today in parliament as part of our campaign to reduce extortionate visa costs and work for shorter settlement routes.

Starting with a short rally in Parliament Square from 3-4pm, we move to Parliament, Committee Room 6 for an event from 5-7pm, which will see a range of speakers sharing their experience of the visa system and Migrant Voice presenting the findings from our research.

The report, The True cost: the financial, social and mental health impacts of the UK visa and settlement system, shows how the cost of visas puts a strain on the lives of innumerable migrants and their families.

Drawing on survey data and focus groups with migrants on five- and ten-year routes to settlement, the findings indicate that the current system imposes excessive cumulative costs, prolonged insecurity and significant mental health strain.

Participants consistently described the system as structurally unfair. Visa fees were viewed as far exceeding administrative costs; repeated renewals create long-term financial pressure; and migrants remain subject to “No Recourse to Public Funds” (NRPF) despite paying taxes and National Insurance.

Since the research was conducted, the Government’s Immigration White Paper (May 2025) proposed extending more settlement routes, and costs have increased. The evidence suggests this would intensify existing harms by increasing cumulative costs and prolonging uncertainty.

Based on the experiences of more than 100 migrants, some of the key findings from our report are:

• People can expect to pay tens of thousands of pounds per person during their settlement journey. Almost half reported total expenditure between £5,001 and £10,000, while nearly one-third had paid between £10,000 and £25,000 in visa fees and associated costs.
• Almost half of participants reported being forced into debt to pay visa and related costs. Of those in debt, nearly half had borrowed up to £5,000, almost one-third between £5,000 and £10,000, and one in five more than £10,000.
• Prolonged insecurity - respondents described living with constant anxiety about future visa renewals, driven by the prospect of further high costs, additional borrowing, paying the Immigration Health Surcharge, and meeting the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR). This anxiety was particularly acute for those on ten-year routes to settlement, where repeated renewals extended uncertainty for many years.
• Financial hardship was further exacerbated by the widespread application of the “No Recourse to Public Funds” (NRPF) condition. Nearly three-quarters of respondents were subject to NRPF at the time of the research, despite paying taxes and National Insurance contributions. Participants described deep fear about being unable to access support in times of crisis and reported that NRPF intensified feelings of exclusion and injustice.
• The impact was felt in every area of life, from hunger and health, to vulnerability at work, from strained relationships to mental distress. Participants reported compromising on housing, struggling to pay rent and bills, and cutting back on food. Nearly one-fifth stated that they could afford only basic necessities and had no capacity to absorb additional costs. Many described saving for visa renewals at the expense of essentials, effectively locking them into cycles of deprivation and insecurity.
• The cumulative effects of high costs, debt, uncertainty, and restricted access to support had a severe impact on mental health. Respondents frequently reported chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and a sense of despondency directly linked to their visa status.
• The emotional toll extended beyond finances, with participants describing persistent fear of refusal, exhaustion from repeated applications, and frustration with an opaque and complex system, including the transition to e-visas.
• The visa system also constrained participants’ ability to plan and progress in their lives. Many reported reduced employment opportunities, limited career progression, and reluctance to change jobs due to fear of destabilising their immigration status. Family life was significantly affected, with respondents describing prolonged separation from loved ones.

It is clear that the current system is impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of migrants, who benefit and enrich our society every day.

We believe the British immigration system needs to change, and we offer these recommendations:

Respondents articulated a clear set of priorities for reform. These included:

• Reducing visa fees to cover processing costs only
• Abolishing the Immigration Health Surcharge, widely viewed as a form of double taxation for those paying taxes and National Insurance
• Removing or significantly reducing the Minimum Income Requirement
• Capping the routes to settlement at five years
• Creating more accessible, affordable, and coherent routes to settlement and citizenship, where time spent on all visa routes counts towards settlement.

The report was launched on 19 May from 5 – 7PM in the Houses of Parliament.

Read the report here.