London – The United Kingdom’s government has recently announced a forthcoming increase in visa fees, set to take effect on October 4. This alteration in the fee structure will see a notable rise in costs for various types of visas. Specifically, a visit visa for a stay of less than six months will incur an additional charge of GBP 15 (equivalent to INR 1,544), while student visas will experience a substantial increase of GBP 127 (approximately INR 13,080) for travelers worldwide, including those from India.
This announcement was officially confirmed by the UK Home Office through parliamentary legislation on Friday. Consequently, the cost of a visit visa for a duration of less than six months will elevate to GBP 115 (about INR 11,845).
Earlier in July, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had indicated an impending hike in visa fees and health surcharges. He emphasized the intention to augment charges applied to migrants seeking entry into the UK when applying for visas, as well as the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
The impending changes encompass a 15% increment in the cost of most work and visit visas, alongside a minimum 20% elevation in fees for priority visas, study visas, and certificates of sponsorship.
The Home Office explained this week that “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.”
It’s important to note that the fee hike applies across a wide spectrum of visa categories, encompassing health and care visas, applications for British citizenship registration and naturalization, as well as fees for visas with varying durations (up to six months, two, five, and ten years), in addition to entry clearance fees.
