The hidden cost of immigration delays

What happened

Mr K and Ms L entered the UK without permission and found work. Their older daughter joined them when she was six. The family asked the Home Office for permission to stay legally in the UK, and had another child. Almost nothing happened on their case for ten years. In that time, the older daughter finished school and went to university. She had grown up in the UK but, without a Home Office decision, she was an overseas student, with higher tuition fees than UK students. The family borrowed money to pay the fees and support her. In 2012 the family got permission to stay permanently in the UK.

What we found

We found serious mistakes in the way the Home Office handled the family's case. It could and should have made a decision earlier than it did. We decided that, without the Home Office's serious mistakes, the family's older daughter would have been able to attend university as a UK student and the family would have avoided around £15,000 in overseas student tuition fees.

Putting it right

The Home Office apologised to the family and paid £15,000 to cover the overseas student tuition fees and £1,000 in apology for the frustration and upset the family endured because of its serious mistakes.