The United Kingdom government has announced over 600 percent increment in student and visiting visas which will now cost £115 (about N111,878.28 ) as opposed to £15 (14,592.70) for visitors, and £127 (N123,537.58) to £490 (N476,677.59) for students.
This was contained in a statement published on the UK Home Office’s website on Friday, September 15, 2023.
The statement noted that the hike will take effect from October 4, 2023, and explained that the changes are to pay for “vital services and allow more funding to be prioritised for public sector pay rises.”
“The changes mean that the cost for a visit visa for less than six months is rising by £15 (N14,592.70) to £115 (N111,878.28 ), while the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the UK will rise by £127 (N123,537.58) to £490 (N476,677.59), to equal the amount charged for in-country applications,” the statement partly read.
Recall that in July, the government announced a 15 per cent increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, and an increase of at least 20 per cent in the cost of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship.
The statement further read, “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 changes, according to checks by Saturday PUNCH, include fees for up to six months, two-, five- and 10-year visit visas.
The majority of fees for entry clearance and certain applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study were also increased.
Also increased were the fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain; convention travel document and stateless person’s travel document; health and care visa; fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies; the in and out of country fee for the super-priority service and the out of country fee for the priority service.
It noted that the settlement priority service would be reduced so it would be aligned with the cost of using the priority service. Applications to register and naturalise as a British citizen and the fee for the User Pays Visa Application service were also increased.
UK Government Increases Visiting Visa Fee
