Home Office to increase application fees for citizenship and permanent residency applications
The Home Office will increase fees for citizenship and visas applications on 6 April 2009. Applicants seeking citizenship by naturalisation or permanent residency through an indefinite leave to remain visa will have to pay up to 15% more.Single Naturalisation Application will increase from £655 to £720
Joint/Couples Nautralisation Application will increase from £735 to £850
Indefinite Leave to Remain (postal applications) will increase from £750 to £820
Indefinite Leave to Remain (application made in person) will increase from £950 to £1,020
Home Office minister Paul Woolas said that the fee increases were necessary to cover the costs of new immigration measures including the introduction of identity cards for foreign nationals.
Henry Dillon, editor at Red Squirrel Publishing, which publishes a range of British citizenship test study guides ,said that the fees increase reflect an ongoing trend by the Home Office
“Fees have more than doubled over the last five years. I fully expect further increases in the future.”
And with increases likely to continue, Mr Dillon recommends anyone thinking of making an application to not put it off.
“Fees are unlikely to come down any time soon. If you are able to submit your application on or before the 5 April 2009 then you’ll save money” said Mr Dillon.
UPDATE - Further to this announcement revised fees were introduced in October 2010. Information about these increases, including a detailed breakdown of charges for each application type, can be found here - http://lifeintheuk.net/index.php/news/immigration_fees_rise_on_1st_october_2010/.
Social