Increases in visa fees for entry into the UK follow a heated debate in parliament last week where British MPs fought for the government to ease Australian visa restrictions.
Instead, visa fees have increased.
While a visitors visa for less than 6 months has only gone up from £83 to £85, visiting for less than a year will cost you £162 instead of £150. A visitor’s visa for less than two years has risen from £300 to £324.
Those wishing to work temporarily in the UK will have to pay £225 instead of £208 for their Tier 5 temporary visa.
The fee for Indefinite Leave to Remain has increased from £1093 to £1500. A great number Australians in the UK apply for this status each year, making the increase rather significant, 1st Contact Visa Manager, John Dunn told Australian Times.
“A large majority of all visas end in a person being eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, after a 5 year continuous stay in the UK. The £407 increase can also be compounded, if a person needs to use the fast track service, as that would increase their total fee payable to £1900 for their application,” said Dunn.
Those hoping to naturalise as a British citizen will now have to pay £925 instead of £826. And those wishing to register as a British citizen will have to cough up £833, as opposed to last year’s rate of £743. Registering your child has gone up from £669 to £749.
Settlement visas (spousal and fiancé visas) have increased by £71.
“With the maintenance requirement for the settlement visas currently sitting on £18,600 without dependents, it just adds to the cost and makes it more difficult to enter the UK as a spouse or Fiancé of a British citizen,” said Dunn.
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