Immigration Update: New Charges for Immigration Applications

With effect from 6 April new fee increases for immigration applications will be introduced. The majority of the fees will be increased by 3% however the fees for dependants will rise steeply as the current discount will be reduced from 50% to 25% of the main applicant fee. A document showing the new fees can be found on the UKBA website (click on the link under 'Related Documents' in the top right hand corner).

In addition, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) will introduce a measure to counteract the widespread abuse of the appointment booking system. When booking online for an in person appointment at one of the Public Enquiry Offices (PEO) the fees will be payable in advance. If an appointment is subsequently cancelled without good reason and not rebooked, a £100 appointment fee may be retained by the UKBA.

The main changes are summarised below:

• A priority postal service for all in country Tier 2 applications will be introduced for a fee of £275, in addition to the standard fee. The new standard main applicant fee will be £578, plus the £275, making a total fee of £853. The new standard dependant fee will be £434 plus the £275, making a total fee of £709. Applicants can attend at one of 105 participating Post Offices in order to enrol their biometrics and applications should be processed within 10 days
• All applications made in person at a PEO will attract a £375 premium fee, in addition to the standard fee. This represents a £100 appointment fee and £275 for faster processing of the application. For a Tier 2 main applicant the total fee will be £953 and for a dependant this will be £809 (up from £434)
• Standard fees for Indefinite Leave to Remain will increase by 6% from £991 to £1051 for the main applicant  and those for dependants from £496 to £788
• For overseas applications, ‘super-priority’ 24-hour services at key posts around the world will be introduced for an additional fee and priority services will be expanded so that more countries will be able to offer a range of priority <5 day processing services

For more information, please contact a member of the immigration team.