New UK Visa Fees to Take Effect in October

The United Kingdom is set to implement new visa fees starting from October 4th, following the recent legislation laid in Parliament on September 15th. These fee adjustments aim to fund essential services and allocate more resources to public sector pay increases.

The upcoming changes will affect a range of visa categories, and it’s important for travelers to be aware of these adjustments:

Visit Visas for Less Than Six Months: The fee for a visit visa with a duration of less than six months will increase by £15, raising the total to £115.

Student Visas from Outside the UK: Applying for a student visa from outside the UK will see a fee increase of £127, bringing the total to £490. This fee adjustment will align the cost with in-country student visa applications.

In July, the UK government had previously announced a 15% increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, along with a minimum 20% increase in priority visas, study visas, and certificates of sponsorship.

The revenue generated from these fees plays a crucial role in sustaining the operations of the Home Office’s immigration and nationality system. Careful consideration is given to setting these fees to reduce the financial burden on British taxpayers while maintaining an attractive service for individuals looking to work in the UK and contribute to the country’s prosperity.

The fee adjustments encompass a wide range of immigration and nationality services, including:

• Fees for visit visas with durations of 6 months, 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years.
• Fees for entry clearance and various applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study.
• Fees for indefinite leave to enter and remain.
• Fees related to convention travel documents and stateless person’s travel documents.
• Health and Care visa fees.
• Fees for certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies.
• Fees for the super priority service (in and out of country) and the out-of-country fee for the priority service. The settlement priority service fee will be reduced to align with the cost of the priority service.
• Fees for applications to Register and Naturalize as a British Citizen.
• The User Pays Visa Application service fee.

It’s important to note that these fee adjustments are subject to Parliamentary approval and are scheduled to take effect on October 4, 2023. It’s worth mentioning that these changes do not include the planned increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is expected to be introduced later in the Autumn.

For a comprehensive list of the new fees and further details, you can refer to the Visa fees transparency data on GOV.UK. Travelers planning to visit the UK should consider these fee adjustments when budgeting for their trips.