Immigration Fees Consultation Launched

The Home Office and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office have launched a consultation document for changes in the way immigration and nationality applications are charged.

At present the Immigration & Nationality Directorate (IND), run by the Home Office and UKvisas, run by the Home Office and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, both use different structures to charge applicants. The government is implementing a policy whereby the administration of migration into the UK should be self-financing by 2008. Over the past number of years the costs of applications has increased considerably.

One of the more controversial ideas being mooted by the consultation document is charging employers to pay for applications instead of the migrant. In addition there is the idea that employers will pay an annual registration fee and then a smaller fee per application in the hope that 'those who benefit from the immigration system, by being able to bring in those migrants they need for work or study, would meet the costs'.

The consultation process will also take account the amount charged for the various applications. The document points out that the UK's pricing structure should be competitive with other countries.

The two government departments are asking interested parties to respond to the consultation documents by 22 December 2006.

The consultation document can be found at the IND website at http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/newsarchive/immigrationchargingconsultatio1. The document is called 'A Consultation on a New Charging Regime for Immigration & Nationality Fees' and is protected by Crown Copyright.