Students, tourists to pay more as UK hikes visa fees
The United Kingdom has announced a visa fee hike set to take effect on April 9.
The increments cut across multiple visa categories, including study, visit, sponsorship, and transit.
Before the Home Office’s announcement last week, a six-month tourist visa cost £115 (about $150). The revised fee was set at £127 (about $164) — a nearly seven percent hike.
A visit visa for up to two years was increased from £432 to £475, a five-year visit visa was raised from £771 to £848, while a 10-year visit visa was increased from £963 to £1059.
For individuals looking to study in the UK, a 10 percent increase was applied to the previous £490, setting the revised fee at £524.
This applies to all categories of students and their dependants except those studying the English language for a short term of more than six months but not exceeding 11 months. The revision to this was pegged at £214 from £200.
Travellers transiting through the UK by air will be required to pay £39 instead of £35, while those going by land will pay £70 instead of £64.
The increments also affected immigrants seeking naturalisation, other travel documentations such as visa extensions, skilled worker visas across different categories, and electronic travel authorisations (ETAs).
Payments for premium services such as fast tracks and premium sponsorships were left untouched.
The visa fee revision comes as the UK samples different measures to reduce immigration numbers.
Here is a glance at the major changes.
WORK VISAS
Category Current fee New fee
Skilled Worker (3 years or less) £719 £769
Skilled Worker (over 3 years) £1,420 £1,519
Skilled Worker (3 years or less) job on the Immigration Salary List £551 £590
Skilled Worker (over 3 years) job on the Immigration Salary List £1,084 £1,160
Health & Care Worker (3 years or less) £284 £304
Health & Care Worker (over 3 years) £551 £590
Senior or Specialist Worker (GBM) (up to 3 years) £719 £769
Senior or Specialist Worker (GBM) (more than 3 years) £1,420 £1,519
Graduate Trainee (GBM) £298 £319
UK Expansion Worker (GBM) £298 £319
Service Supplier (GBM) £298 £319
Secondment Worker (GBM) £298 £319
Scale-up Worker £822 £880
High Potential Individual £822 £880
Innovator Founder £1,191 £1,274
Temporary Worker routes £298 £319
STUDY VISAS
Category Current fee New fee
Student £490 £524
Child Student £490 £524
Short term student studying English language £200 £214
TOURIST VISAS
Category Current fee New fee
Visit visa (up to 6 months) £115 £127
Visit visa (up to 2 years) £432 £475
Visit visa (up to 5 years) £771 £848
Visit visa (up to 10 years) £963 £1,059
Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) £10 £16
SETTLEMENT AND NATURALISATION FEES
Categor Current fee New fee
Indefinite Leave to Remain £2,885 £3,029
Naturalisation (British citizenship) £1,500 £1,605
Naturalisation British overseas territory citizens £1,000 £1,070
Nationality registration as a British citizen (adult) £1,351 £1,446
Nationality registration – British overseas territory citizen, British overseas citizens, British Subjects, British protected persons (adult) £901 £964
SPONSORSHIP FEES
Category Current fee New Fee
Worker sponsor licence (large sponsor) £1,476 £1,579
Worker sponsor licence (small sponsor) £536 £574
Temporary Worker sponsor licence £536 £574
Student sponsor licence £536 £574
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee – Skilled Worker & GBM Senior or Specialist Worker £239 £525
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee – Temporary Worker £25 £55
Confirmation of Acceptance for Study (CAS) fee – Student & Child Student £25 £55
Sponsor action plan £1,476 £1,579
Student sponsor basic compliance assessment £536 £574
