Interesting stat in the latest UK Transparency Data

[Tony M]

The cost of processing a UK visa (the cost per decision)  is  173 GBP.  This is from the latest UK Transparency data. See the attached screenshot.  Why does it cost 1196 GBP to process a settlement visa ? 

 

 

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Edited December 3, 2016 by Tony M

[7by7]

Interesting.

 

The government used to include the processing cost when announcing visa and LTR increases; if memory serves they always claimed it was higher than this!

 

However, to be fair, if I'm reading it right, that table gives the average cost of all decisions, both in country and overseas, not the actual cost of each category.

 

Also, some visa fees, 6 months standard visit for example, are set below this figure; but most are above it. (Home Office Immigration & Nationality Charges 2016)

 

We in this forum are primarily concerned with family settlement. For the average family member settling in the UK the fees are (at current rates)

• initial visa: £1195
• FLR: £811
• ILR: £1875
• Total: £3811

Average cost of processing these applications; 3 x £173 = £519

 

Profit : £3292.

 

Plus, of course, other fees charged such as the £500 fee for the in person, same day premium service for LTR applications(how can processing an in person application cost £500 more than a postal one?) and the fees for BRPs.

 

A nice little earner for the exchequer.

 

Back in 2000 I asked an ECO at the Bangkok embassy (you could talk to them in those days) why a settlement visa was about 4 times the cost of a visit visa. Their reply was that the settlement fee included the cost of processing subsequent in UK applications such as ILR. Reasonable.

 

Then Blair's government introduced fees for in UK applications without reducing the fee for outside UK ones. The start of the journey to where we are now; large profits being made from most visa and LTR applicants.

 

I should make it clear that I do not expect visa and LTR applicants to be subsidised by the taxpayer.

 

But I do believe that the fees charged should be fair and equitable and reflect the true cost of processing applications, including overheads; not set at levels designed to make such large profits.

[Tony M]

Fees will go up each year, based on the following (from Govt published figures) :

 

Entry clearance or limited leave where the basis upon which that leave is given may (after one or more subsequent periods of leave on the same basis) lead to a grant of indefinite leave to remain.

 

Fixed amount Route to Settlement :

Current fee £1,195

2016/2017 maximum fee £2,141

Proposed maximum  £3,250

 

[globalThailand]

That is interesting.  My wife will be applying soon and I was really shocked at the price.  7by7 makes some good points, and the 173 quid average is surely an over simplification of the truth but I can't see how a £1200 price tag can be justified...  Top lawyers musing over the application for a week? O.o

 

What upsets me more is that after 33 months you have to do the whole thing again, to get another 33 month extension, before you get ILR... that seems totally arbitrary to me