News

Charges introduced for immigration applications

From 1 August, foreign nationals living in the UK will be charged the costs of the immigration services they use, the Home Office announced today.

The new charges will mean that people applying for permission to extend their stay in the UK will pay a charge for processing their applications from 1 August, saving the taxpayer £90 million a year. Postal applications will cost £155, with a premium 'same day' service for personal callers costing £250.

The charges will apply to:

• applications for an extension of stay in the UK,
• applications for settlement, and
• permanent residency stamps being put in new passports.

Home Office Minister, Beverley Hughes said:

“We continue to welcome the many foreign nationals who choose to study, work and live in the UK - they boost our economy and add to our thriving cosmopolitan society. Many apply to extend their stay each year, and it is right that they should meet the costs of that. Charging for the cost of processing these applications will save the taxpayer £90 million a year.

“The Government has made significant investment in recent years to improve all aspects of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, including the standard of service people receive when they submit applications. Charging will help us to continue to improve the efficiency and speed with which we process these applications, leading to ever higher levels of customer service.”

Notes for editors:

1. Applicants who wish to submit their applications before the charge is introduced must ensure that they are received in IND before 23.59hrs on 31 July 2003.
2. From 1 August, all applications must be submitted on new forms which have payment details attached. These forms will be available from the Home Office website from today and on request in hard copy from 21 July 2003.
3. After 1 August, we aim to process postal applications within a maximum of 13 weeks, and 70 per cent should be within three weeks.
4. Premium applications can be made by personal callers at the Public Enquiry Offices in Croydon, Glasgow, Birmingham and Liverpool. These applications will be dealt with on the same day, as long as the application is fully complete and no further enquiries need to be made.
5. The charge will not be applied to:
   • family members of European Economic Area nationals,
   • applications for leave to remain under the European Community Association Agreement,
   • European Union citizens. (This will also apply to nationals of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia once they become full members of the European Union on 1 May 2004),
   • people applying for indefinite leave to remain on the grounds of domestic violence who provide evidence that they are destitute, and
   • applications for asylum, Discretionary Leave or Humanitarian Protection.
6. At the present time there is no charge for leave to remain applications for the following:
   • holders of work permits, and
   • participants in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme or the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme
7. The Home Office already charges for nationality applications, work permits and the issue of Travel Documents (for example to refugees or those with exceptional leave to remain).
8. Full details will be available on the Home Office website from later today www.homeoffice.gov.uk