UK set to increase visa fee

London, March 7

The British government is set to increase visa fee across most categories of applications from March 18, in a move that will affect thousands of Indians, the largest group of skilled workers to be granted visas to live and work in Britain last year.

The changes, proposed in January this year, mean a two per cent rise for most fees including the short-term visitor visas and most work or study applications, and a 25 per cent increase in fees for nationality and settlement visa applications.

The United Kingdom Home Office said this would reduce UK taxpayer contributions towards the border, immigration and citizenship system and ensure that by 2019-2020 the system is self-funded by those who use it. “These changes ensure that the Home Office can achieve a self-funding system, whilst continuing to provide a competitive level of service, and a fee structure that remains attractive to businesses, migrants and visitors,” a Home Office statement said.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), Indians formed the largest group of skilled workers to be granted visas to live and work in the UK last year. “Indian nationals accounted for 57 per cent of the total skilled work visas granted (52,360 of 92,062), with USA nationals the next largest nationality group (10,130 or 11 per cent),” the ONS report said.

Most of these migrants go on to apply for settlement in the UK and will now pay around 25 per cent more for such applications as the fee for a settlement application or the “Indefinite Leave to Remain” application within the United Kingdom will increase from 1,500 pounds to 1,875 pounds. — PTI