Changes to the UK Immigration Visa Fees
The UK Home Office has announced revised fees for various immigration and nationality applications, starting from October 4, 2023. Here’s a brief summary of the key changes:
| Visa Types | Application made outside the UK | Applications made in the UK |
| Spouse / Civil Partner / Unmarried Partner / Fiance / Parent / Child | £1,538 | £1,048 |
| Adult Dependent | £3,250 | £1,048 |
| Student | £363 | £490 |
| Graduate | – | £715 |
| Visitor | £100 | £100 |
| Visitor in Transit | £64 | £64 |
| Ancestry | £531 | £531 |
| British National (Overseas) | £180 | £180 |
| Skilled Worker (up to 3 years) | £625 | £719 |
| Skilled Worker (more than 3 years) | £1,235 | £1,423 |
| Health and Care Worker (up to 3 years) | £247 | £247 |
| Health and Care Worker (more than 3 years) | £479 | £479 |
| Temporary Work (Seasonal Worker, Government Authorised Exchange, Creative Worker, Religious Worker, Charity Worker, International Agreement) | £259 | £259 |
| Overseas Domestic Worker | £531 | £531 |
| Senior or Specialist Worker (up to 3 years) | £625 | £719 |
| Senior or Specialist Worker (more than 3 years) | £1,235 | £1,423 |
| Global Business Mobility (Graduate Trainee, Secondment Worker, Service Supplier, Expansion Worker | £259 | £259 |
| International Sportsperson (up to 12 months) | £259 | £259 |
| International Sportsperson (more than 12 months) | £625 | £719 |
| Minister of Religion | £625 | £719 |
| Representative of an Overseas Business | £625 | £719 |
| Scale-up | £715 | £715 |
| Innovator | £1,036 | £1,292 |
| Start-Up | £378 | £508 |
| Global Talent | £623 | £623 |
| Indefinite leave to remain | – | £2,404 |
The immigration healthcare surcharge (IHS) is a fee that some individuals may need to pay as part of their immigration application process. This fee is designed to cover the costs associated with accessing the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.
The UK’s immigration health surcharge has experienced a substantial increase of 66%, soaring from £624 annually to £1,035 (£470 to £776 for students and under-18s).
For example, a three-year Skilled Worker visa UK in a shortage occupation previously incurred approximately £2,350 in application fees and surcharge. Following both fee hikes, the total cost will reach £3,650, excluding the employer levy and sponsorship certificate fees. Settlement fees are also on the rise, climbing from around £2,400 to £2,900.
Over the past two decades, fees for visas, permissions to stay, and citizenship in the United Kingdom have witnessed significant growth. Previously, a student visa cost a mere £33, and the UK did not levy charges for visa extensions, work permits, or settlements until 2003. Initial citizenship and visa fees were once quite affordable, but they now stand at £2,400 for applications to stay in the UK permanently.
Also, to the primary application fees, individuals are required to pay an annual immigration health premium of £624 for visas and extensions. Furthermore, work permits incur an employer charge of up to £1,000 annually. For instance, a five-year employment visa used to cost approximately £7,000, while a two-and-a-half-year partner visa had a price tag of £3,400.
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