Proposed increases in UK visa fees from April

[ThaiVisaExpress]

A list of "indicative" fees is now published. A UK settlement visa increases from 885 GBP to 956 GBP. A visit visa increases from 83 GBP to 85 GBP.

The full list is here :

indicative-visa-charges-for-2015-to-2016.pdf

[daveAustin]

Thank you so much, British government!

[marksm]

Thank god I am applying for my wife's citizenship

[Suradit69]

Gee when the Thai government raises fees for something, we get pages of comments that include descriptive notations of "arrogant," "stupidity," "greedy" and failed econ 101 lectures about how this will lead to the end of immigration or tourism in Thailand for all times.

[VBF]

Gee when the Thai government raises fees for something, we get pages of comments that include descriptive notations of "arrogant," "stupidity," "greedy" and failed econ 101 lectures about how this will lead to the end of immigration or tourism in Thailand for all times.

Same applies, except everyone already KNOWS the British Government is all the above!

[Briggsy]

This cannot be compared with Thailand where foreigners (and Thais to a large extent) have to pay for health care and children's schooling and cannot access any welfare benefits. It is a complicated equation to put a value on.

[MartinL]

We went to the UK Visa App. Centre on Monday this week. Fee for a Visit Visa was £83 but must be paid online in US$, using debit/credit card. The exchange rate used is £83 = US$142 = $1.71/£. If they used the current rate of $1.51 or so, the US$ fee would be $125. On top of the unjustified $17 extra there are then currency conversion fees imposed by the debit/credit card companies, whatever they might be.

Since most applicants will be Thais or Thai-resident foreigners (mainly Brits applying for wife/gf visa?), all with baht bank accounts & possibly GBP for expat Brits, why must the fee be paid in US$???

UK visa centre shares premises with Oz & Canada visa centres, both of which accept payment in THB. In fact, at their visa centres in Thailand, China, India, NZ, South Africa, Japan, Switzerland all accept THB payments as well as, in some cases, their own currency (according to their websites).

Edited February 6, 2015 by MartinL

[durhamboy]

Actually it is not just the cost of the initial settlement visa that is the main problem. A grand for a visa is bad enough but that is only a fraction of the fees that have to be for. A few months ago there was a thread on the true cost of an SV. General concensus was 4 to 5 grand and included things like :

1. FLR - this thousand quid only gives the right to stay for 33 months.

2. ILR

3. English Tests and tuition

4. LITUK Tests and tuition

5. TB test

So whilst some people may think oh it's only 66 quid the people who actually have to pay for all this are saying enough is enough.

It really is straws on the camels backs now.

[7by7]

<snip>

Since most applicants will be Thais or Thai-resident foreigners (mainly Brits applying for wife/gf visa?), all with baht bank accounts & possibly GBP for expat Brits, why must the fee be paid in US$???

It's not really the extra cost I don't like, it's the requirement to pay in US$.

The GBP is a major world currency and, in my view, a government has a duty to support & promote its own currency at all opportunities. Demanding payment in US$ doesn't do this and, IMO, gives a negative impression of the British Pound.

There is a long running topic on this absurd situation: click here.

[Waterloo]

an extra £99 for citizenship, really is time to get the wife's application in

[bobrussell]

Despite the fact that my wife is now a British Citizen I watch these increases with annoyance. It could be argued that applicants should be relieved that the increases are not much greater. When we were tackling the UKBA, rises were astronomical, not pounds but hundreds!

It is a tax, should be regarded by everyone as a tax so inflation is pretty irrelevant.

What they should be doing is using any increases to improve the service offered, perhaps funding better action against those abusing the system.

Demanding $US would be laughable if it wasn't so costly to the applicant.

[TCA]

VFS Global Thailand run the visa operation in Bangkok.

How they choose payment is up to them and they run the operation on a commercial basis as agent for the UK.

They are a commercial company and as such have to make a profit for their shareholders.

Trying to pay by sterling in Bangkok would create problems as the currency would have to be deposited in a sterling account.

I thought payments were now made straight to UKVI. What VFS want is completely irrelevant. Not sure what you're on about regarding depositing sterling anywhere. WorldPay collect the payments for UKVI in whichever currency UKVI ask them to. They choose US Dollars.

[7by7]

We are, of course, concentrating on visit visas, settlement visas and LTR here as those are the categories which most members are interested in.

But there are other considerations as well.

Foreign students contribute approximately £3billion a year to UK universities. But tougher rules and increasing visa costs mean that their numbers are falling as more and more foreign students are choosing to go elsewhere; the UK economy is losing out. See Decline of overseas students at England's universities

From International students and the UK immigration debate

The U(niversities) UK report frames the UK as a higher education giant that is slowly (but surely) shrinking in relation to global competitors such as the US, and increasingly, European nations. It suggests that migration policy is to blame. The rhetoric around international student migration is discouraging students from studying here, and this is damaging the UK’s reputation as being open for business.

Of course, visitors and those coming to settle also contribute to the UK economy.

Visitors spend money while they are here. How many will, or already have, chosen cheaper destinations instead in which to spend their, often hard earned, money?

Those coming to live in the UK also spend money, many of them also work and so pay tax.

I am sure that no one here is against a fair fee being charged for a UK visa or LTR; a fee that represents the actual cost of processing the application.

But the government's own figures show that most visa and LTR fees are way above this.

When the last Labour government first started to increase these fees, which at the time were set to recover the cost of processing, to levels which make a profit for the exchequer I communicated with my MP who was, at that time, shadow immigration minister. He assured me that the Conservatives were bitterly opposed to this policy and would reverse the trend when they came to power.

I'm still waiting!

Of course, I am sure that those who believe only the rich should be able to study abroad, have foreign holidays or marry a foreigner will disagree with all of the above.

[Sunderland]

For me it's not about the money, but the principle of the needless profiteering.

The wife works for Emirates and therefore travels extensively. She had no problem getting a 10-year multiple entry visa for the United States for less than the cost of a single visit to the U.K. The U.K. refuses to issue her with anything longer than a 6-month multiple entry visa.

Oh well, it's the U.K.'s loss at the end of the day because we now meet my parents halfway in Europe and therefore have stopped contributing to the U.K economy.

So you can stick your overpriced U.K. visa up your wotsit ...

[theoldgit]

OK, here we go again, enough is enough, I really cannot allow this thread to degenerate any further with (a) member(s) posting wildly inaccurate information.

I don't want to close this thread as the information Tony M has given will no doubt be of use to a number of us.

Thanks very much for the initial post Tony M

I don't want to inhibit any member from making any useful contribution, but would be grateful if members would cease from posting totally wrong information as facts.

I have removed a number of inaccurate and inflammatory posts, as well as some very restrained responses.

[Waterloo]

Checking on the UK website it only say's April for when these fee changes take affect, due I assume they mean from the 1st of April?

[englishoak]

Still a bargain and will become more expensive/restrictive as time goes on.

[husseinfatal]

Hi,

Whats the difference between these 2 visas?

Entry clearance, limited leave to enter or limited leave to remain in the UK where the Fixed fee

Settlement £885 £956

Settlement - other dependant relative £1,982 £2,141

[7by7]

The first is for immediate family; i.e.:

• spouse/civil partner,
• unmarried partner
• fiance/proposed civil partner
• children

The second is for adult dependent relatives, e.g. parents or adult siblings.

Click here for a brief guide on eligibility for each.

[husseinfatal]

Hi 7by7,

So i am looking with my wife at the process of applying this year for her 2 kids visa to join us this year in the UK (sole responsibility being proved of course first!)

So i would be looking at £956 per child?

My wife came over last year on a spouse visa.

[wooloomooloo]

an extra £99 for citizenship, really is time to get the wife's application in

For my dilly dallying, it cost me £100 last April [2014] when I should have already applied for citizenship on behalf of my wife. We had an unwritten agreement that I researched and completed all the visa applications and my wife sat LitUK, B1 and signed the various forms which, for us, was a fair way to do things. The existence of a cosy year on ILR lured me into a false sense of security.

That £100 rise sure spurred me into action, notwithstanding wondering whether there would be future random changes or additions to qualifying tests and their associated costs.

It was God's way of telling me to get a move on.

[theoldgit]

So I would be looking at £956 per child?

Yes, from next month the fee will be £956 per child, only £885 if you could get the application in this month.

[ravip]

Gee when the Thai government raises fees for something, we get pages of comments that include descriptive notations of "arrogant," "stupidity," "greedy" and failed econ 101 lectures about how this will lead to the end of immigration or tourism in Thailand for all times.

A 'developing' country does not do anything correct, unlike a 'developed' country, isn't it?

[Waterloo]

an extra £99 for citizenship, really is time to get the wife's application in

For my dilly dallying, it cost me £100 last April [2014] when I should have already applied for citizenship on behalf of my wife. We had an unwritten agreement that I researched and completed all the visa applications and my wife sat LitUK, B1 and signed the various forms which, for us, was a fair way to do things. The existence of a cosy year on ILR lured me into a false sense of security.

That £100 rise sure spurred me into action, notwithstanding wondering whether there would be future random changes or additions to qualifying tests and their associated costs.

It was God's way of telling me to get a move on.

Yes pretty much the same here should have had it in before last years deadline, still have an appointment for the Citizenship checking service on the 23rd of March now.

For anyone else thinking of trying to beat the deadline be warned be warned appointments are disappearing fast!