UK visa fees set for big hike |
The British government is set to increase visa fees across most categories of applications from March 18, in a move that will affect thousands of Indians who were the largest group of skilled workers to be granted visas to live and work in Britain last year. The changes, proposed in January 2016 , mean a 2 per cent rise for most fees including the short-term visitor visas and most work or study applications and a 25 per cent increase in fees for nationality and settlement visa applications.The UK Home Office said the increases will reduce UK taxpayer contributions towards the border, immigration and citizenship system and ensure that by 2019-2020 the system is self-funded by those who use it. These changes ensure that the Home Office can achieve a self-funding system, whilst continuing to provide a competitive level of service, and a fees structure that remains attractive to businesses, migrants and visitors. Indians have reportedly formed the largest group of skilled workers to be granted visas to live and work in the UK last year. Indians bagged the majority of the 92,062 visas issued to skilled migrants in 2015.
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