UK To Hike Visa Fee For Tourists, Students; To Be Effective From October 4

Following the proposed hike in visa fees, a visit visa for six months will cost 15 British Pounds more, while student visas will become 127 British Pounds more expensive for students.

The new UK visa fees are expected to come into effect next month, October 4, the UK Home Office said on Friday. Following the proposed hike in visa fees, a visit visa for stays under six months will cost 15 British Pounds more, while student visas will become 127 British Pounds more expensive for students from various countries, including India.

Legislation regarding the visa fee was tabled in the British Parliament on Friday. The changes are subject to parliamentary approval. 

"Increases to immigration and nationality fees to pay for vital services and allow more funding to be prioritised for public sector pay rises are set come into effect on 4 October," the Home Office said. 

The UK Home Office said that the adjustments will result in a visit visa for stays under six months increasing to 115 British Pounds, and the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the UK will also rise to 490 British Pounds, equal to the amount charged for in-country applications.

A 15 per cent hike in the fees for most work and visit visas, along with a minimum 20 per cent increase in the costs associated with priority visas, study visas, and certificates of sponsorship was announced in July. 

“Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Office’s ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system. Careful consideration is given when setting fees to help reduce the funding contribution from British taxpayers, whilst continuing to provide a service that remains attractive to those wishing to work in the UK and support broader prosperity for all,” the Home Office said.

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The hike in fees applies across most visa categories, including health and care visas; applications to register and naturalise as a British citizen; and fees for up to six months, two, five, and 10-year visit visas.

The hike also applies to the majority of fees for entry clearance and certain applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study; fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain; and fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies.

According to PTI, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in July, said that fees and health surcharges paid by visa applicants for the UK's state-funded National Health Service (NHS) would increase significantly. These adjustments aim to support the country's public sector wage increase.

“We are going to increase the charges that we have for migrants who are coming to this country when they apply for visas and indeed something called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is the levy that they pay to access the NHS,” he said at the time.

“All of those fees are going to go up and that will raise over 1 billion British Pounds, so across the board visa application fees are going to go up significantly and similarly for the IHS,” he said.

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