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See other news storiesNew immigration fees announced
30 January 2008
New immigration charges, which will fund sweeping changes to border security, have been announced.
Fees for most existing services, such as student visa fees, will stay the same, while increases in line with inflation will be applied to some services.
Fees for new services, such as the new points-based system for managing migration, have been set broadly in line with fees for existing services.
Sharing responsibility for immigrants
We're also proposing fees for the new 'sponsorship' system. Sponsorship is a new process where employers, schools and other organisations will share responsibility with the government to ensure people follow immigration rules.
Organisations will pay a licence fee, which lasts for four years, to allow them to sponsor skilled workers, students or other migrants to come to the UK. The licence fees we're proposing are:
- small businesses and registered charities who want to bring in skilled workers under 'Tier 2' (new window) - £300
- other employers who want to bring in skilled workers under 'Tier 2' - £1000
- educational establishments and other organisations who want to sponsor students and other migrants under 'Tier 5' - £400
See the full table of the proposed immigration fees.
'Immigration system should be funded by those who benefit from it'
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said it was fair that those who benefit most from using the immigration system should fund it.
'We welcome the contribution that legal immigrants make to the economy and cultural life in the UK, and we have ensured that these fees, which will usher in the biggest reforms to the immigration system in a generation, are at levels that will not damage our international competitiveness.
'We are confident that we are not out of line with other countries’ prices and that the people we want to come here will not be deterred from doing so.'
Fees will fund improvements to immigration system
The fees are funding the improvements we've already made to the immigration system to ensure it is as secure as possible. Other measures include:
- capturing biometric data, like fingerprints, from all visa applicants around the world before they come to the UK
- on-the-spot fines for employers who hire illegal workers
- a single border force with police-like powers to prevent illegal entry to the country
- compulsory ID cards for immigrants who want to stay in the UK
Taken together, these measures represent the biggest shake-up of the country's immigration system in its history. The new system is designed to allow the UK to continue to reap the benefits of migration, while also preventing fraud and illegal immigration.
