UK Home Office Urged to Scrap Lengthy and Costly 10-Year Visa Route

The 10-year immigration route has been criticized for disproportionately impacting people of colour, leaving many in debt and struggling with high visa renewal fees. Critics are pushing for a fairer system with shorter settlement times.

A lengthy and costly visa process in the United Kingdom, commonly known as the “10-year immigration route,” has been labeled discriminatory, as most applicants forced into this pathway are people of colour, recent data analysis reveals.

What Is the 10-Year Route?

A 10-year route is a visa option for individuals who do not meet the income or professional qualification requirements for faster immigration pathways, such as the five-year route.

This visa route is often used by people in low-wage jobs, including cleaners and care workers, and has been widely criticized for its long duration and high costs.

According to data obtained by the charity Ramfel, over 218,000 people are currently on the 10-year route. Many of these individuals are from minority ethnic groups, with the top five nationalities being from;

1. Nigeria
2. Pakistan
3. India
4. Ghana
5. Bangladesh

A staggering 86% of those on the route are from Asian or African countries, while only 6% are from Europe.

High Costs and Multiple Renewals

One of the major challenges of the 10-year route is the requirement to renew the visa every 30 months, meaning applicants must go through four renewals to complete the process. Each renewal costs £3,850, putting immense financial strain on families.

Although fee waivers are available, many requests are rejected, forcing applicants to borrow money and accumulate debt.

A 2023 report by the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU), alongside the Institute for Public Policy Research and the charity Praxis, highlighted that borrowing money is the most common way for people to cover visa fees, leaving many in debt and struggling to afford basic living expenses.

Real Stories of Struggle

One applicant shared her struggles with the 10-year route. She has a British-born child and was granted leave to remain in 2018. However, a delayed renewal application earlier this year meant she lost all progress and had to restart the 10-year journey.

“This immigration route is brutal. It feels like I’m in prison,” she said. “I want to go to university and qualify as a nurse, but I can’t do that until my immigration status is resolved.”

Calls for Reform

Critics argue that the 10-year route is unnecessarily long and financially draining. A spokesperson from GMIAU called the policy “racist” and urged the government to reform the system.

“People are being driven into debt, forced to choose between paying visa fees and providing for their families. Ten years is far too long for anyone to wait to settle. The route must be scrapped, or at the very least, capped at five years.”

The growing calls for change reflect a broader demand for immigration reform that prioritizes fairness and financial accessibility for all applicants.

Conclusion

The 10-year visa route remains a challenging pathway for many immigrants, particularly people of colour. With its high costs, long wait times, and financial burden, there are increasing demands to reduce the settlement period to five years, making the system more equitable for everyone.

Best Regards,

Sataish N. Baloch