Immigration Fee Increases and Digital Status Transition

Amongst the numerous changes to the Immigration Rules over the last few months, including the recent statement of changes, there are now further fees that are set to increase which were not included with the previous raft of increases.

The fee for applicants applying for leave to remain, where the fee is not specified elsewhere in the regulations, which includes applications under Appendix FM as a parent or as a partner, is set to increase from £1,048 to £1,258 per applicant – around a 20% increase. The increased fee will be payable for applications from 24^th July 2024.

Passport fees are also increasing. From 11^th April 2024, a standard adult online application is increasing from £82.50 to £88.50 and a standard online child passport application is increasing from £53.50 to £57.50.

Further to our blog post from February, there has been an additional update regarding the leap to digital status. The Home Office updated their guidance on 22^nd March 2024 in relation to the switch to eVisas for those who hold physical immigration status documents. Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) are set to expire on 31 December 2024, with the plan to switch from physical documents to eVisas before this date. BRP holders will require to create an online UKVI account prior to the expiry of the physical cards. The newest update states that those who hold a BRP will be contacted by the Home Office directly with the instructions on how to switch to an eVisa prior to the expiry of their BRP, by letter or email. The instructions are being rolled out on a piecemeal basis, with some individuals having already received directions to create their account. If you have not received the directions, the Home Office has stated that they will release an option to create the account yourself later in 2024. The eVisa will be linked to the passport on your UKVI account, so it is important for eVisa holders to keep their account up-to-date with their current passport information. 

Where a person does not have a BRP but instead has another form of physical document to evidence their immigration status, such as a stamp or vignette in their passport, and they hold indefinite leave to enter or remain, they will require to make a ‘No Time Limit’ application to confirm their status by way of a BRP. Once the BRP is received, they will then be contacted on how to create the UKVI account to obtain the eVisa, as discussed above.

If you would like our advice or assistance regarding the effect of these changes, then please do not hesitate to contact one of the experienced solicitors in our immigration team.