The British government stated on Saturday that an increase in visa fees is scheduled to take effect on October 4. A visit visa that allows for a stay of less than six months will now cost GBP 15, and student visas will now cost GBP 127 for all visitors, including those from India.
The UK Home Office has stated that as a result of the legislative changes made on Friday, the price of a visit visa valid for less than six months will increase to GBP 115. Additionally, the cost to apply for a student visa from outside the UK will rise to GBP 490, mirroring the cost for applications made from within the nation.
This modification comes in response to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's warning in July that immigration fees and health surcharges, which go toward funding the NHS, would rise dramatically to account for increases in public sector wages.
At the time, he declared, "We are going to raise the fees that we charge for immigrants coming to this country when they apply for visas and, in fact, something called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is the levy that they pay to access the NHS.According to him, "all of those fees are going to increase, and that will raise more than GBP 1 billion, so generally speaking, visa application fees will increase significantly, and similarly for the IHS."Most work and visit visa fees will increase by 15%, according to the Home Office, while fees for priority visas, study visas, and sponsorship certificates will rise by at least 20%."The Home Office's capacity to manage a viable immigration and nationality system is critically dependent on income from fees imposed. The Home Office stated this week that careful consideration is made when establishing fees to help lower the financing contribution from British taxpayers, while continuing to provide a service that remains appealing to people who seek to work in the UK and encourage greater prosperity for all.
The fee increase affects the majority of visa categories, including health and care visas, applications to register and become British citizens, fees for visas with varying terms (up to six months, two, five, and ten years), fees for entry clearance, and some applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study, indefinite leave to enter and remain, as well as fees related to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for s.According to the Home Office's release, these modifications are subject to parliamentary approval and are anticipated to go into effect on October 4.