VISA processing delays are resulting in migrants losing work and even their homes, rights charity Praxis has warned. 

People seeking to extend their leave to remain are now waiting an average of 11 months for their applications to be processed by the Home Office. 

These delays are leaving an increasing number of people struggling to find or maintain employment because they don’t have any documentary evidence to prove their status or right to work, according to a report published today by the charity. 

Kerry, a Jamaican national who has lived in Britain for 20 years and has a British daughter, had to wait almost a year for her leave-to-remain application to be processed after submitting her documents in early 2021. 

During this time, her employer began questioning why she was not able to provide proof of her immigration status, resulting in her being suspended from her job as a cleaner without pay. 

“They thought I was lying and that my documents had run out — they thought I wasn’t legally allowed to work,” she said. 

Unable to pay the rent, Kerry then started receiving eviction threats from her landlord and was forced to rely on the help of friends to survive. 

Only in August 2022 was her visa eventually approved by the Home Office — 11 months after she submitted it — and she was able to resume work. 

People’s right to work, rent and access healthcare is supposed to be protected during the visa processing period, but the lack of documentary evidence means they can run into problems with landlords and employers due to the government’s raft of hostile environment policies. 

Recent figures from migrant charity Ramfel show that in a sample of over 329 cases of people who applied for a visa extension since 2021, 17 per cent suffered serious detriment such as being wrongfully suspended or denied access to work. 

Praxis says the real number is likely to be far higher. Many people supported by the charity are trying to become naturalised as British under the 10-year route, which requires applicants to renew their visa every two-and-a-half years, costing about £2,600 each time. 

Praxis says the problems caused by increasing visa delays highlight the need for a shorter route to settlement. 

Policy & public affairs manager Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz said: “At a time when the cost of living is rising rapidly, government policies are pushing people whose futures are in this country into serious financial hardship. 

“A simpler and fairer system would benefit everyone.

“We’re calling on the government to change the rules so that people can escape the insecurity and poverty created by long routes to settlement and punitive immigration policies.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “People applying for a visa extension have the right to work while their application is being considered.

“Our staff are working hard to consider visa applications, which have been impacted by the pandemic and Putin’s invasion, and have increased staff numbers by more than 1,200 since April 2021.”