On 13th July 2023, the Chief Secretary to Treasury, John Glen MP, announced that fees for most visas and settlement applications, and other services, will be increased.
The Government announced that work visas, which could include all visas in the work category of the Points Based System, along with other visas such as Ancestry and Government Authorised Exchange, could see increases of 15% in fees. Visit visas will also be increased by 15%. The Government is yet to announce when these changes will come into effect.
Other immigration categories will see an even higher increase of ‘at least’ 20%, meaning that at the point the Home Office introduces the new fees, it may be higher than the proposed base rate of 20%. These categories will include study visas and entry clearance applications as well as settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain/Enter) and citizenship applications. Glen also announced that Certificate of Sponsorships, which currently come with a £199 fee per assignment, will increase by 20% and services to expedite applications, such as the Priority Service, will also be increased by the same amount.
The normal rate for the immigration health surcharge will increase from £624 to £1,035 per year. This will be paid by workers entering for a period of six months or more and the family members of migrants and British citizens alike. The discounted rate for students, children and youth mobility visa holders will be increased from £470 to £776 per year.
Separately, a number of simplifications were announced. The fee of £19.20 for biometric enrolment will be abolished, as will the £161 charge for transfer of conditions. Fees will no longer be charged for amending details on physical documents such as name, sex marker, nationality and photograph. Fees will also be abolished for like-for-like replacement of a biometric residence permit where the document has expired. This will primarily benefit those with indefinite leave to remain, whose cards have a maximum 10-year validity, with most due to expire in 2024.
We have provided a provisional table of what some current fees of main immigration categories look like and what they may look like once the changes come in.
Potential UK Visa Application Fees Increase From 2023 Onwards
Category | Current Fees | Potential New Fees |
Visitor visa (up to 6 months) | £100 | ~£115 |
Visitor visa (up to 2 years) | £376 | ~£432 |
Visitor visa (up to 5 years) | £670 | ~£770 |
Skilled Worker visa (in country, <3 years) | £719 | ~£826 |
Skilled Worker visa (in country, >3 years) | £1,423 | ~£1,636 |
Skilled Worker visa (out of country, <3 years) | £625 | ~£718 |
Skilled Worker visa (out of country, >3 years) | £1,235 | ~£1,420 |
Student visa (in country) | £490 | ~£588 |
Student visa (out of country) | £363 | ~£435 |
Indefinite Leave to Remain | £2,404 | ~£2,885 |
Naturalisation (British Citizenship) | £1,250 | ~£1,500 |
Priority Service | £800 | ~£960 |
Certificate of Sponsorship | £199 | ~£239 |
When will the new fees be introduced?
No announcement was made on the timing of the increases. If you can make an immigration application sooner rather than later, then you should do so. We have a guide to making fee waiver applications for those who cannot afford application fees. This article is all about the increment of UK Visa Application fees.