UK government increases visiting visa fee and Student Visa fee (14,000 to 112,000 and N123,000 to N477,000 respectively)

UK Visa increment – The United Kingdom government has announced over 600 percent increment in student and visiting visas which will now cost £115 (about N111,878.28 ) as opposed to £15 (14,592.70) for visitors, and £127 (N123,537.58) to £490 (N476,677.59) for students.

This was contained in a statement published on the UK Home Office’s website on Friday, September 15, 2023.

The statement noted that the hike will take effect from October 4, 2023, and explained that the changes are to pay for “vital services and allow more funding to be prioritised for public sector pay rises.”

“The changes mean that the cost for a visit visa for less than six months is rising by £15 (N14,592.70) to £115 (N111,878.28 ), while the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the UK will rise by £127 (N123,537.58) to £490 (N476,677.59), to equal the amount charged for in-country applications,” the statement partly read.

However, the statement noted that subject to parliamentary approval, the immigration and nationality fees would increase from October 4.

Also increased were the fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain; convention travel document and stateless person’s travel document; health and care visa; fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies; the in and out of country fee for the super-priority service and the out of country fee for the priority service.

It noted that the settlement priority service would be reduced so it would be aligned with the cost of using the priority service. Applications to register and naturalise as a British citizen and the fee for the User Pays Visa Application service were also increased.