Call us on +44 20 3384 3075

English
Chinese
Russian

27 Feb UKBA annual fee increase announcement

Posted on February 27, 2013 in Other Visas by
0 Likes

Earlier this week the UKBA announced their plans to increase the fees for the processing of immigration applications as of 6 April 2013.

The following increases have been listed in the proposal which will be presented to the Parliament on 14 March 2013:

Applications made in the UK

  • The majority of fees will increase by 3%, in line with the inflation.
  • The discount on fees paid by dependants will be reduced by 25% which means that dependant’s fee will be set at 75% of the main applicant’s fee (currently 50%). In the future the UKBA is likely to charge the same fee for dependants and main applicants in line with for visa applications made overseas.
  • The application fee for Indefinite Leave to Remain made in the UK will be increased by 6% – from £991 to £1051.
  • The fee for those applying to register as a British citizen will be increased to £673.
  • Introduction of a fee of £55 for residence documentations issued to EEA nationals and their non-EEA family members exercising free movement rights in the UK.

 

Premium & Priority service in the UK

The UKBA is planning to make several improvements to the premium service to ensure a smoother and more efficient provision of the service. They announced an introduction of a priority service (at a fee of £275) for applicants who want a confirmed decision more quickly than the standard service but do not wish to attend in person at a UK Border Agency location. This service will initially be offered to selected Tier 2 in-country applicants only. However, the UKBA intends a phased roll-out to the remaining temporary and permanent migration routes in the UK.

A premium (same day) service fee will be charged at a flat rate of £375 in addition to the standard fee. Currently an additional premium fees vary between £200 and £467, depending on the type of application. The £375 fee will comprise two components: £100 for the provision of an appointment; and the remainder to pay for the faster processing of the application. The £100 appointment fee may be retained by the UK Border Agency if an appointment is subsequently cancelled without good reason and not rebooked, or if an application is withdrawn before the appointment happens. All the fees will be due upfront at the point of the appointment booking.

Finally, the UKBA intends to launch a Tier 4 premium service in July 2013 building on the premium services available to the Tier 2 and 5 work route sponsors since 2012. This optional premium service for Tier 4 sponsors will offer them enhanced levels of customer service. For an annual fee of £8,000 Tier 4 sponsors will receive benefits including: access to a named account manager, priority consideration of post-licence casework, monthly information reports on certificate allocations and access to student eligibility checks.

Applications made from overseas

Overseas priority services are already available in more than 25 countries, and the UKBA will look to expand and improve these services in 2013. They will introduce an expanded range of priority (<5 day) services, and ‘super-priority’ 24-hour services at key posts around the world.

The link to the new fees, can be found by clicking on http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2013/february/29-new-fees

For professional legal advice and help with your application, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

The content of this article is for general use and information only. Since each case should be prepared on its own merit and in light of the constant amendments to the Immigration Rules, it is important to note that the information provided must not be relied upon unless Migra & Co has either given written consent or has been officially engaged in relation to a specific immigration matter. As a result, Migra & Co will take no responsibility for any damage, cost or loss resulting from relying on the information contained in this article, blog and website.