19 May 2026: Migrant Voice: The true cost of visas – our parliamentary report launch
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. Read the report here.
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 âNo Recourse to Public Fundsâ (NRPF) despite paying taxes and National Insurance.
Continue reading “The true cost of visas”
