Visa appointment fees rise with no warning
The cost of an appointment at visa application centres in the UK has risen with no warning given to applicants or their representatives.
Sopra Steria, the outsourcing company that runs UK Visa and Citizenship Services, has hiked appointment costs from £60 to £69.99 for a standard appointment and from £125 to £135 for appointments on Saturdays or out of regular office hours.
Solicitors John Vassiliou in Edinburgh, Bryony Rest in Newcastle and John Atkins in Exeter have all reported higher fees when attempting to book appointments for clients over the past 48 hours, so it appears to be applicable nationwide rather than to any particular UKVCAS centre.
The government website still lists the old cost, but the Sopra Steria website now says that “prices start at £69.99 per person”.
Free appointments are available, in theory, at six “core service points” in major cities, but fees are charged at the other 50 application centres.
The Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association says that it has contacted the Home Office and Sopra Steria to ask for more information.
Posted on 16.01.2020.
We provide services
Other useful articles
- On 24 July official visa fees rose by 20 percent for family visas and those on discretionary or human rights grounds
- Electronic visas (eVisas): who is affected and what steps to take now
- UK government launches new Border Security Command to fight illegal immigration
- Important changes regarding ILR under the 10-year long residence in the country - violation of the basic principle of law
- The approach to taxation of the Labour government: manifesto promises and key themes
- Labour Party’s immigration law policy as per their Party Manifesto 2024
Get specialist advice
Please contact with one of our immigration lawyers by phone +44 (0) 207 907 1460 (London), +971 509 265 140 (Dubai) or complete our enquiry
Contact us