18 days until new UK immigration fees

18 days and counting!

Increased UK immigration fees for 2016 – 2017 were announced earlier this year and have now been confirmed.

The new Home Office immigration fees for the year ending March 2017 will apply to UK immigration applications as of 18 March 2016.

As announced, an economically-aligned 2% increase for visit, study and work visas will be implemented, whilst a larger increase of 25% will be made to the fees for settlement, resident and nationality applications.

Those overseas nationals already eligible to apply for UK residency or citizenship may be best advised to file their applications ahead of this substantial fee change.  

But this is not the steepest increase of the lot. Those applicants willing to pay for expedited visa services via the optional Home Office priority or super premium services can expect to pay 33% more for the privilege from March this year.

The significant increase in nationality fees has been interpreted by many as the government’s way of discouraging non-EEA nationals from making the UK their home. This is less economically worrying, however, than the rise in costs for work and student visas.

When viewed within the current climate of ever-increasing costs for visa applicants and stricter rules for UK employers, many promising international students and skilled professionals looking for their next career move might be deterred from bringing their expertise to the UK market.

There is some good news, however, as sponsorship categories will not experience any fee changes.

Click here to access the new UK immigration fees table.