Proposed fee increases

The UKBA has been consulting with users over charges for immigration applications. The consultation ended on 1 December 2009.

The UKBA was looking at the following:

• the level of fee to be set on the new earned citizenship scheme due to come into force in the summer of 2011 (we reported on this scheme in our October 2009 e-bulletin)
• introducing varying fees for the same application at different embassies i.e. charging an increased fee when greater security checks are required
• extending premium services for a quicker turnaround time for customers e.g. introducing a premium service for nationality applications
• charging for UKBA consultancy services such as the employers helpline
• bringing fees for dependants in-country in line with entry clearance applications so that each dependant would be charged the same as the main applicant
• charging a premium fee for migrants who submit an out-of-time application
• increasing the fees for B-rated sponsors under the Points Based System
• a more complex sliding scale for fees for Certificates of Sponsorship
• introducing fees for appeals and administrative reviews of Home Office/British Embassy decisions.

We will let you have the outcome of the consultation once the information is available.

This article was first published in Business Immigration eBulletin December 2009