As expected and anticipated ahead of the yearly April changes, the Home Office has announced the changes and increases in UK Visa fees for immigration and nationality applications for the year ahead. Alongside significant reform of the business visitor visa category, also announced by the Home Secretary yesterday, the new UK visa fees will be applicable after April 2015.
Sponsor Licence (New and Renewal) and Certificate of Sponsorships
The cost for Sponsor Licence application will remain the same, while the cost of allocating a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is expected to rise from the current £184 to £199.
Tier 2 Visa Applications
Fees for both Tier 2 General and Intra-Company applications will also increase as of April 2015.
Fees for Tier 2 General Entry Clearance applications and Intra-Company Long Term Staff applications for three years or less are expected to increase from the current £514 to £564
Fees for Tier 2 General Entry Clearance applications and Intra-Company Long Term Staff applications for more than three years are expected to increase from the current £1028 to £1128
Tier 1 Investor
Fees for the Tier 1 Investor category are also expected to rise from the current £874 to £1500.
Indefinite Leave to Remain
Because £1,098 was not high enough already, applicants submitting applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain are also expected to incur a whooping increase on fees to £1500
Premium Sponsor Scheme
The optional Premium Sponsor Scheme is expected to remain unchanged at £25,000 for larger sponsors and £8,000 for smaller ones.
Other UKVI Premium Visa Services
Priority Visa Services for other applications are expected to attract a 20% increase in fees for attendance in person. This means that applicants should expect an increase in fees from £300 to £360 (excluding the Visa applications fee) if they wish to take advantage of the Premium Service. Those applying under the Super Premium Service might also incur a fee increase from £7000 from the current £6000.
Conclusion
The increases to UK visa fees are substantial. Applications made prior to the 6th April 2015 will not be subject to the new increases.
Need help or require assistance with your application? Call us on 020 7494 0118 and one of our experts will be delighted to assist.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals