UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

Fees for visas and sponsor licences are due to increase in October 2010

Friday, 6 March 2009

The Government has announced its proposed fee levels for all visa, immigration, sponsorship and nationality applications in 2009/10.

The revenue from these increased fees will be used to enable the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to continue providing a world-class immigration service while reducing UK taxpayers' burden.

The UK is experiencing the biggest changes in its immigration system for 45 years, including:

• fingerprint checks before people come to the UK;
• a strong new force at the border;
• counting people in and out of the UK; and
• introducing identity cards for foreign nationals.

The rationale behind the proposed fee increase is that these important improvements cost money to deliver, and the Government's policy is that UK taxpayers should not bear the full cost of bringing visitors and migrants to the UK.

In 2009/10 the UKBA is planning to spend over £2.2 billion on securing the UK border and managing the immigration system. Approximately 30% of this spending will be recovered through fees from applications and other services the UKBA offers. This will allow the UK to continue reaping the benefits of bringing migrant workers while also preventing abuse of the system.

The Government regularly reviews fees for visa, immigration and nationality services and changes are made when necessary. In setting the fees for 2009/10, the Government took into account the UK's international competitiveness at a challenging time for the global economy.

If you are interested in UK Visas, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to the UK.