THE United Kingdom is set to significantly increase visa fees to £222 across multiple categories, affecting visitors, students, workers, and individuals seeking permanent residency, as part of a broader push to curb immigration.
According to the UK Home Office, the new fee structure will take effect on April 8, also introducing an “emergency brake” on student visas for migrants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan.
UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, informed that the decision followed a surge in asylum applications from citizens of those countries.
Among the proposed actions, the government plans to offer up to £10,000 to failed asylum seekers who voluntarily leave the country, noting that migrants found working illegally will lose access to taxpayer-funded accommodation.
Under the revised fee system, short-term visit visas up to six months will increase from £127 to £135. Longer-term visit visas will also see notable hikes: two-year visas will rise to £506, five-year visas to £903, and ten-year visas to £1,128.
Similarly, applications for British citizenship will become more expensive, with naturalisation fees increasing from £1,605 to £1,709. Settlement visa costs will also rise, with the standard route increasing from £1,938 to £2,064.
Meanwhile, family-related applications, fees for individuals requiring care from relatives in the UK will jump by £222 to £3,635, while settlement visa fees for refugee-dependent relatives will increase to £452, and Skilled worker visa fees for applications made outside the UK for up to three years will rise from £769 to £819, with similar percentage increases applied to longer-term visas and dependants.
The ICIR reported in early 2025 that the UK announced a rise in visa fees for students, tourists, and other travellers, from £363 to £490, reflecting a 35 per cent rise.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.