The government has published the new visa application fees announced earlier this year. Visa application fees will increase significantly from 9am on 4 October 2023.
Visa application fees will increase by between 15 – 35%, depending on the visa category.
- Work and visit visa fees will increase by 15%
- Family, settlement and citizenship fees will increase by 20%
- Student visas fees will increase by 35%
For example, the cost of applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain will increase by £481. The cost of applying for British citizenship will increase by £250 for adults and £202 for children.
The cost of applying for a spouse visa from outside the UK will increase by £308. The cost of applying to extend a spouse visa from inside the UK will not change on 4 October.
Priority services for a faster decision on an application are also set to increase. Super Priority service for a next-day decision will increase from £800 to £1,000. Priority service for a one-week decision will remain at £500. In some positive news, Priority Service for family applications made outside the UK including spouse visa applications will decrease from £573 to £500 for a decision within 30 working days.
Immigration Health Surcharge fees will increase ‘later in the Autumn’, subject to parliamentary approval. We expect IHS fees to increase by 66% from £624 per year to £1,035 per year. This means that the cost of IHS for a spouse visa application made outside the UK will increase from £1,872 to £3,105, on top of visa application fees.
We recommend checking your eligibility to apply before 4 October 2023 to benefit from the lower application fees. If you would like advice on how these changes will affect you and whether you can apply before 4 October, please contact our friendly team today.