New UK visa fees

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The proposed new fees are attached.

Specific fee changes for 2016–17 will apply after further legislation is laid in Parliament by April this year.

The new legislation will set maximum levels on the amounts for broad categories of fees that can be charged by the Home Office over the next 4 years. There are no current plans to raise fees to the maximum levels.

These increases will allow us to reduce taxpayer contributions towards the border, immigration and citizenship system and ensure that by 2019–2020 the system is self funded by those who use it.

The main changes are:

• small increases (2%) for visit, study and work visas
• fees for settlement, residence and nationality will increase by 25% in 2016–17
• targeted increases have been applied to premium services, such as the priority visa service

Fees for all sponsorship categories will stay at the current rates.

Fees_Table_-_table_with_further_detail_of_indicative_fees_for_2016-17.pdf

Tony M

Edited January 13, 2016 by ThaiVisaExpress

[theoldgit]

Thanks for posting this Tony, they certainly seem to want to price out those wishing to settle in the UK.

[OJAS]

And presumably the actual payments made by Thai applicants will, in practice, continue to be made in USD only, thus increasing the cost even more through GBP/THB-to-USD conversion charges?

[wooloomooloo]

And presumably the actual payments made by Thai applicants will, in practice, continue to be made in USD only, thus increasing the cost even more through GBP/THB-to-USD conversion charges?

As Arthur Daley would say "nice little earner".

[Tony M]

Just for information, the new visa fees will be introduced from 18th March (not 6th April, as is usual)

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-new-immigration-and-nationality-fees

[Richard W]

Now it's a £308 one-off charge per employee not to frighten off new employers from employing certain people with a demonstrable right to work.

[brewsterbudgen]

While on the subject of UK visa prices, I'm in the process of helping my (Lao) girlfriend apply for a UK Marriage Visitor visa. I looked into the option of the 24 hour Super Priority Service so that she would get her passport back quickly - the charge? 600 pounds / 33,000 baht!!

[Tony M]

While on the subject of UK visa prices, I'm in the process of helping my (Lao) girlfriend apply for a UK Marriage Visitor visa. I looked into the option of the 24 hour Super Priority Service so that she would get her passport back quickly - the charge? 600 pounds / 33,000 baht!!

That goes up to 750 GBP on the 18th March.

[brewsterbudgen]

While on the subject of UK visa prices, I'm in the process of helping my (Lao) girlfriend apply for a UK Marriage Visitor visa. I looked into the option of the 24 hour Super Priority Service so that she would get her passport back quickly - the charge? 600 pounds / 33,000 baht!!

That goes up to 750 GBP on the 18th March.

I guess some businesses who need 24 hour visas might pay it, but it seems exorbitant at 600 GBP and 750 is extortionate!!

[Tingtongmakadangdang]

Hi,

I have just come on here to browse for information and noticed that the visa prices are going up in March instead of April

My husband has just passed his lituk test (at last!!) and we have booked his b1 test at trinity for the 16th of March. We came here in may 2012 so are under the old rules- once he has both language test certificates we can apply for Settlement.

Sooo my question is, if he passes and I send of application ASAP (17th?!) I'm assuming the visa price will still be £1500? But if we delay it any longer will I have to print off a newer set(m) form and pay a higher price?

Will we be charged from when the application is received or date it is sent, as by the looks of things we are cutting it a bit fine!!!!

Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[ajb1985]

So then, I'm looking at £500 for the NHS surcharge, £400 if I want to use a premium centre. What's the new cost of a FLR visa gonna be?

[ajb1985]

Actually the premium service is gonna be £500! Plus the visa plus the brp. Total cost is going to be around £1900.

Shocking prices and it's gonna get worse when we get to ILR.

[Waterloo]

Shocking increase, I thought the system was already self financing with regard to visa's, I guess they want the visa fees to pay for all functions including border officers and enforcement!

[jacky54]

Exploitation, no other word for it, oh yes there is, extortion

[OJAS]

While on the subject of UK visa prices, I'm in the process of helping my (Lao) girlfriend apply for a UK Marriage Visitor visa. I looked into the option of the 24 hour Super Priority Service so that she would get her passport back quickly - the charge? 600 pounds / 33,000 baht!!

That goes up to 750 GBP on the 18th March.

I guess some businesses who need 24 hour visas might pay it, but it seems exorbitant at 600 GBP and 750 is extortionate!!

And don't forget that visa costs are only payable in USD. Should be a simple conversion to calculate, of course, once the GBP has hit parity with the USD as it seems well on the way to doing at the present time!

[daniel2183]

My wife is planning to submit an application for a "settlement" visa end of March. Does this price increase apply to that too? I am her "sponsor" for the application.

Thanks

[7by7]

Yes.

The new fees, as detailed in the link in the OP, apply to all applications made on or after 18th March.

[daniel2183]

Yes.

The new fees, as detailed in the link in the OP, apply to all applications made on or after 18th March.

Thanks

[7by7]

The new fees table from the Home Office in the OP can be a bit confusing to wade through; so I've used the simplified one published by Free Movement ,which uses language we can all understand, to produce the following table of those fees which most members here will be concerned with.

The figures read old fee, new fee, increase.

Outside UK fees

Visit visas:
6 months £85, £87, £2
2 years £324, £330, £6
5 years £588, £600, £12
10 years £737, £752, £15

Settlement: £956, £1,195, £239

In UK fees

Life in the UK test*: £50, £50, £0

In country biometric enrolment: £19.20, £19.20, £0.00

Biometric residence permit (BRP) / replacement BRP: £45, £56, £11

Leave to remain – Other, e.g. FLR: £649, £811, £162

Indefinite leave to remain: £1,500, £1,875, £375

Application in person (premium service centre) includes the £100 appointment booking fee – inside office hours: £400, £500, £100

Application in person (premium service centre) includes the £163 appointment booking fee – outside office hours: n/a, £563, n/a (This is a new service, therefore no old fee nor increase)

Naturalisation: £1,005, £1,236, £231 (Includes citizenship ceremony fee of £80)

Nationality registration as a British citizen – child: £749, £936, £187 (An additional £80 citizenship ceremony fee will be charged if the child turns 18 during the process)

*The Home Office doesn't set the fees for the English speaking and listening tests, the test providers do. So those fees are not included here.

What is interesting is that while fees for all stages of family settlement have increased by as much as 25%, fees for most work visas, usually paid by the employer, and work visa sponsor's licences have increased by around 2% or not at all.

As Colin Yeo says on the linked to page

The increases are not unexpected (Immigration fees to increase further still). The Home Office is attempting to make immigration control self funding. The choices made by Ministers as to where the highest fees should fall are telling, though. High fees have a deterrent effect and are simply unaffordable for some families. It is clear that it is family migration, not business migration, the Government wants to reduce. Little did we know that family “values” is a reference to financial cost rather than morality.

[theoldgit]

Off topic post removed.