UKBA Consultation on fees and charging, immigration and visas

[7by7]

Seeking asylum ;You make some good points.

Immigration fees are becoming a scandal in the UK. Linked to those levied by increasingly onerous changes to spurious language tests etc, it now means that the typical foreign spouse will pay on average £6,000 for the privilege of being able to live without restriction in the UK, a significant majority of whom will not receive any direct financial benefit beyond what they derive from their own endeavours.

That applies to all of us. By the time my son left university with a masters he owed £37,000 which is a lot higher than the £6000 you quote.

You are, again, comparing apples and oranges.

University tuition fees are paid for via an interest free loan; which does not have to be repaid until and unless one earns above a minimum amount. Unless one attends university in Scotland, where there are no tuition fees.

I am sure most of us here would be overjoyed if the government introduced a similar loan scheme to pay for visa and LTR fees!

It was Blair and Brown who left us the legacy we now see unfolding in certain parts of the UK.

What are you on about? The EEA treaties which enshrine freedom of movement rights can be traced back to the Treaty of Paris in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957.

The various rights were brought under one directive in 2004; implemented in the UK by the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 (as amended).

OK, Labour were in power then, but as all these regulations did was combine the many pre existing different regulations into one set; I fail to see how Blair or Brown, much as I dislike both of them, can be blamed.

Can we get back to the topic now?

[Jay Sata]

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make or where your train of thought is outside some issue you may have had in the past over visa fees which you considered a rip off.

The topic is the consultation which appears much broader than your narrow remit.

The fees are going up however much you want to sit at the waters edge trying to push the sea back.

Apples,oranges and fruits of all kinds will not stop the tide coming in.

You've got all your visa's as I understand so let's move on and look at facts on the ground as the Israeli government so often says.

The government wants to generate more income from the system so where is it coming from?

Can you offer some suggestions 7by7?

[7by7]

As shown, the government already generates vast income way above costs from visas and LTR applications. They may want to generate more income from them; but that doesn't make it right.

Would raising more money for the NHS by raising prescription charges to cover the actual cost of the medicine provided right?

If you actually believe what you have posted, I guess you would say it is.

This consultation, as I and others said right at the beginning of this topic, is yet another smokescreen from the government; we all know that.

However, last time I looked this is still a free country, and people are still allowed to express an opinion; as I have already done in my submission to this and previous consultations, enquiries etc., etc.

If enough people protest, things may change.

To paraphrase a disputed quote of Burke's : All that is necessary for the injustice of the UK visa system to prevail is that people say nothing.

To quote him directly: Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.

Edited November 16, 2013 by 7by7

[Jay Sata]

You've lost me now.

What are you suggesting to achieve the aims of the consultation document?

It appears to me you are only interested in some sort of retribution to sate your anger over charges imposed in your personal situation.

Can you offer any input outside of your own past experience where you felt you were overcharged?

[Jay Sata]

Any chance of steering this back on topic?

I'm suggesting levelling up the charges on visas so fees UK/abroad are the same.

Three tier tourist visa charges. one month / two month / three month

Foreign language schools who process English tests abroad paying/being licensed.

Charges for info to agents/others now given free.

Big increases on premier services/VIP ops.

[7by7]

As the aim of the consultation is to justify yet another increase in visa and LTR fees, I am arguing against it's aims.

I have said many times that my wife and step daughter came to the UK, and subsequently obtained ILR and then British citizenship, long before Blair started down this road.

In those days the fee for a settlement visa was about 4 times the fee for a visit visa. I asked an ECO at the Bangkok embassy, you could talk to them in those days, why this was.

She replied that the settlement visa fee included the cost of processing later, in UK applications,e.g. ILR, for which no charge was made at the time of the application.

Seemed reasonable.

But of course, when Blair introduced the fees for in UK LTR applications, the overseas fee was not reduced accordingly!

The excuse that these fees justify the costs has been a lie right from the very beginning.

I have no personal axe to grind; as said my wife and step daughter became British citizens before these outrageous fees were first introduced. But I do not subscribe to the "I'm all right, Jack" attitude which many others do.

These fees are an injustice; one I have protested about at every opportunity over the last nearly 10 years.

And I intend to continue doing so until it the injustice is righted.

[theoldgit]

I'll ask one more time to keep this debate civil, please save your energies for the consultation exercise.

[Jay Sata]

I'd say judging by the limited response here there will be minimal opposition to the proposals.

In future they will not have to refer back to Parliament each time changes are made. The last increase was only

2% in most cases which seems reasonable to me.

In developing these proposals, the UK Border Agency has sought to limit most increases to

approximately 2%. In addition, the fees paid by dependants, for applications made within

the UK, are being maintained at the current level of 50% of a main applicant’s fee. In future

the UK Border Agency will look to charge the same fee in the UK for dependants and main

applicants, as currently already happens for visa applications made overseas.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/wms-fees-feb-2012.pdf