UK raises student visa fee to £490 and visitor visa fee to £115

The cost of a student visa has gone from £127 to £490, according to a statement released by the UK’s Home Office on Friday, while the price of a visit visa valid for less than six months has climbed from £15 to £115.

The increases, according to the Home Office, were a result of legislation that was introduced by the Parliament on Friday.

It was stated that the increase in fees will allow the government to support essential services and give the public sector more financing priority.

The statement went on to say that the Home Office’s capacity to manage a viable immigration and nationality system depends critically on the income from fees collected.

Less than six months have passed since the UK announced increases in visa application fees and health surcharges.

The Home Office added that when fees are set, significant thought is given to how to lower the funding contribution from British taxpayers while maintaining a service that is appealing to people looking to work in the UK and supporting overall prosperity for everybody.

“Today’s changes do not include the planned increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which are scheduled to be introduced later in the Autumn,” the statement further stated.