As many of you may have heard through the grapevine, there are a lot of talks about the Home Office fees increasing. Whilst we prepare for fees to increase every year, we expect them to be by an approximate of 2-5%, however, this year the fees are likely to be increased by between 15% to 65%, the majority of the increase will impact the Immigration Health Surcharge.
We understand from reports, that fees will increase as follows:
- IHS (Immigration Skills Charge) main rate will increase from £624 to £1,035 and the discounted rate for students and those under 18, will go up, from £470 to £776.
- Work and visit visas to increase by 15% (Email us on UKTeam@vira.co.uk for further information)
- Study visas, certificate of sponsorship, settlement, citizenship, wider entry clearance and priority visas to increase by at least 20% (Email us on UKTeam@vira.co.uk for further information)
Following a networking meeting we attended last week, it was discussed that the increase may become effective in the Autumn, or possibly sooner. Recently we have seen the government implement changes overnight, without any prior warning, so it would be prudent to expect changes to be introduced without too much notice.
What does this mean for you?
If you have not yet applied or instructed us for a matter, the fees could possibly increase as listed in the table below suddenly. These are an estimate provided on the reports and budgets and may be much higher when the increase is implemented.
| Fee Type | Current Fee | New Fee | Increase % |
| Immigration Health Surcharge – Adult | £624 | £1,035 | 65 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge Students and children under 10 | £470 | £776 | 65 |
| Certificate of Sponsorship | £199 | £239 | 20 |
| Skilled Visa application Fee – up to three years – In country | £719 | £827 | 15 |
| Skilled Visa application Fee – up to three years – Out country | £625 | £719 | 15 |
| Skilled Visa application Fee – up to five years – In country | £1,423 | £1,636 | 15 |
| Skilled Visa application Fee – up to five years – Out country | £1,235 | £1,420 | 15 |
| Priority Service – 5-working days in country | £500 | £600 | 20 |
| Priority Service – 5-working days out country | £250 | £300 | 20 |
| Super Priority Service – 5-working day in country | £800 | £960 | 20 |
| Indefinite Leave to Remain | £2,404 | £2,888 | 20 |
| Naturalisation | £1,330 | £1,596 | 20 |
What should I do?
We strongly urge employers to act now for any migrants they wish to sponsor, any delay could see you paying considerably higher costs which you may not have budgeted for, therefore affecting your staffing needs.
Should you have any questions, please contact UKTeam@vira.co.uk
