advertisement
The British government is set to increase visa fees across most categories of applications from18 March, in a move that will affect thousands of Indians who were the largest group of skilled workers to be granted visas to live and work in Britain last year.
The changes, proposed in January this year, mean a 2 percent rise in most fees, including the short-term visitor visas, work and study applications and a 25 percent increase in fees for nationality and settlement visa applications.
The UK Home Office said the increases will reduce UK taxpayer contributions towards the border, immigration and the citizenship system. It will ensure that by 2019-2020 the system is self-funded by those who use it.
According to recently-released figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), Indians formed the largest group of skilled workers to be granted visas to live and work in the UK last year. Indians bagged the majority of the 92,062 visas issued to skilled migrants in 2015.
An increase of up to 25 percent will apply to settlement, residence and nationality fees as these routes deliver the most benefits to successful applicants. Optional premium services offered by the Home Office, such as the super-premium service and priority visa services overseas, will see an increase of up to 33 percent.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)