Nigerians, and other foreign nationals coming into the United Kingdom will have to pay more for visa applications.
Also, the Immigration Health Surcharge paid by immigrants applying for visas will “increase significantly”, the United Kingdom has said. Reported by Punch
On Thursday, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, delivered a statement regarding an increase in visa application fees. The prime minister explained that this measure was necessary to address the financial gap created by the recent approval of a pay raise in public sector wages. He emphasized that the fees for visa applications and the National Health Service (NHS) surcharge had not been raised for some time, hence the need for the increase.
In his statement, the prime minister expressed his commitment to not burdening taxpayers with increased taxes or worsening inflation by borrowing more funds. Therefore, to generate the required revenue, two measures were implemented. Firstly, charges for migrants applying for visas would be raised, along with the immigration health surcharge (IHS) they pay to access the NHS. These fee adjustments were estimated to generate over £1 billion. The prime minister clarified that visa application fees across the board would significantly increase, as would the IHS, following the announcement of the wage increase.
Under the new changes, the surcharge paid as part of a visa application would rise to £1,035. Additionally, work and visit visas would see a 15 percent increase in their cost. Study visas, certificates of sponsorship, wide entry clearance, leave-to-remain visas, priority visas, and other visa categories would experience a minimum increase of 20 percent.
The purpose of these adjustments in visa application fees is to contribute to the necessary funding for public sector wage increases while ensuring financial sustainability without resorting to tax hikes or increased borrowing.
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