But how many know that they cannot pay in Sterling?
I know someone who recently sponsored a visit visa applicant in Thailand and used his UK debit card to pay the fee. He was surprised to see that the fee was payable in US dollars, not Sterling, and shocked when he checked his bank to see that due to the exchange rate used by UKVI that the amount actually debited was not the fee of £80 but £86.24; an increase of just under 8%. The same exchange rate would mean an increase for a settlement application from the already exorbitant £851 to £919.08.
In addition to this extra amount collected by UKVI, he also, of course, had to pay a currency conversion fee to his bank.
So, a British citizen sponsoring a visitor to the UK or a family member, e.g. spouse, for settlement is forced to pay a fee which has been set by the British Parliament in Sterling using a foreign currency and so incur an extra cost due to the exchange rate used by UKVI plus any charges made by his/her bank.
This would be understandable and acceptable were the fee charged in the local currency; but it isn't; it's charged in USD.
On querying with UKVI in Bangkok why he had to pay in USD and could not pay in Sterling he received a form reply which included
This has since proved to be incorrect, as another acquaintance informs me that in China applicant's have to pay in the Chinese currency; Yuan."Why can't I pay in GBP?
It is currently only possible to pay in one designated currency from the approved list of currencies, due to current IT constraints. However it is intended that at some point in the future applicants will be able to select a currency of their choice from the approved list, including GBP, allowing customers to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each currency in relation to the methods of payment available to them. We cannot offer a timescale on this development at present."
The company used by UKVI to process the payment is the same in China and Thailand; World Pay.
I have contacted Mark Harper, the immigration minister, at ministerforimmigration@homeoffice.gsi.uk to ask him:
1) Why is a fee set by Parliament in Sterling being charged in USD?
2) Why can applicants in some countries, e.g. China, pay in the local currency but others have to pay in USD.
I ask as many members as possible to do the same.
BTW, my own MP refused to answer when I asked him as the person effected is not a constituent of his; but if you have, or will be, personally effected by this, please contact your own MP as well as Mark Harper.