On September 15, 2023, the UK Parliament approved legislation to increase immigration and nationality fees.  Most fees will rise between 15-20% on October 4, 2023, excluding the NHS surcharge fee which will remain the same.  As a result, this will dramatically increase the cost of a typical work visa submitted from outside the UK.  The fee changes apply to the following:

• Fees for six-month, two-year, five-year, and 10-year visas.
• Most fees for entry clearance and certain applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study.
• Fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain.
• Convention travel document and stateless person’s travel document fees.
• The Health and Care visa fee.
• 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 (the settlement priority service will be reduced so it is aligned with the cost of using the priority service).
• Fees for applications to Register and Naturalize as a British Citizen.
• The fee for the User Pays Visa Application service.

Sponsoring employers are encouraged to submit affected visa applications prior to October 4, 2023 to benefit from lower fees. For additional information please contact the T&S EMEA team at EMEA@tandslaw.com.