No Recourse to Public Funds
No recourse to public funds (NRPF) applies to most migrant people in the UK until they have permanent settled status. There are some visas that allow a person to live in the UK, however they will have the condition of NRPF attached. These include:
- Spousal visas
- Student visas
- Visitor visas
- Some other visas that allow limited types of leave
The information may be stamped in your passport or written on the back of your residence permit.
Undocumented migrants and many asylum seekers will also have no recourse to public funds.
This means people cannot claim most forms of state benefits and may not be able to access refuge accommodation, which can be major barriers to escaping domestic abuse. An abuser may also use someone's immigration status as a tactic to try and control them, or tell someone they have no rights and nobody will help them.
What Can I Do?
People with no recourse to public funds who are experiencing domestic abuse can take the following steps:
- Speak to a qualified immigration advisor who can let you know what your legal rights are and how you might be able to apply for the right to remain in the UK
- Speak to a local domestic abuse service
- Call the police to report the abuse, especially if you or somebody else is at risk of immediate harm
Surviving Economic Abuse
Surviving Economic Abuse and Southall Black Sisters have produced an information page for those with no recourse to public funds.