Government proposes a significant increase in fees for immigration applications

On 11 January 2016, the government announced its intention to increase fees for visas, immigration applications and nationality applications, as well as fees for using the premium service. This will come into force once legislation is laid by Parliament in April this year. The aim is to reduce taxpayer contributions towards the border, immigration and citizenship system so that the system eventually becomes self-funded. The biggest increase in fees relate to settlement, residence and nationality applications which will see a fee increment of 25%.

The main changes are:

• An application for indefinite leave to enter for the main applicant and all dependents will increase from £1500 to a proposed fee of £1875.
• An increase from £2141 to a proposed fee of £2676 will apply to settlement of other dependent relatives.
• A naturalisation application as a British citizen will increase from £925 to a proposed fee of £1156
• A naturalisation application as a British Overseas Territories Citizen application will increase from £740 to a proposed fee of £925
• An application for registration as a British citizen will increase from £833 to a proposed fee of £1041 for an adult and from £749 to a proposed fee of £936 for a child
• A nationality registration application for an adult British Overseas Territories Citizen/British Overseas Citizen/British Subject/British Protected Person will increase from £666 to a proposed fee of £833 and a proposed fee of £749 from the current fee of £599 for a child.

In contrast, the fees relating to sponsorship applications under Tier 2, Tier 4 and Tier 5 will remain the same although there is a proposal to increase the maximum chargeable. This includes fees for:

• Tier 2 large Sponsor licence (to remain at £1476)
• Tier 2 and Tier 4 Sponsor licence (to remain at £1476)
• Tier 2 and Tier 5 Sponsor licence (to remain at £1476)
• 2, Tier 4 and Tier 5 Sponsor licence (to remain at £1476)
• Tier 3 small Sponsor licence (to remain at £536)
• Tier 4 sponsor licence (to remain at £536)
• Tier 4 small Sponsor licence (to remain at £536)
• Tier 5 Sponsor licence (to remain at £536)
• Tier 5 small Sponsor licence (to remain at £536)
• Tier 2, Tier 4 and/or Tier 5 licence where a sponsor currently holds a Tier 4 or Tier 5 licence (to remain at £940)
• Allocation of a Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (to remain at £199)
• Allocation of a Tier 5 Certificate of Sponsorship (to remain at £21)
• Allocation of a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies under Tier 4 (to remain at £21)
• Basic compliance assessment for licenced Sponsors (to remain at £536)
• Sponsor Actions Plans (to remain at £1476)
• Optional premium customer services for Tier 2 and Tier 5 large Sponsors (to remain at £25,000
• Optional premium customers services for Tier 2 and Tier 5 small Sponsors (to remain at £8000)
• Optional premium scheme for Tier 4 sponsors (to remain at £8000)

It is proposed that visit, study and work visa fees will only increase by 2%.

For full details of the indicative fees for 2016 -2017, please click here.

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