Proposed New Fees from 1 April 2007

Chess · Post by **Chess** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:19 pm

I THINK THIS IS WHAT JOHN REID MEANT BY MAKING "....IMMIGRANTS LIVES UNCOMFORTABLE AND CONSTRAINED'

my noble advise to you hard working brethren - is that if you can get back something from the system - then grab it with both hands!!! end of story...

AlexCh · Post by **AlexCh** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:57 pm

Does anybody know - when exactly the new price will come into force - on the 1st of April or on the 5th of April (new financial year)?

I have managed to book nationality check appointment urgently for my wife to submit her naturalisation application, problem is that
the appointment is on the 29th of March (Thursday - the only I could find) at 5pm and the NCS will send her papers by a registered mail -
the girl on the phone told me that the application will be delivered to the Home Office next day on Friday, 30th of March - which would be great.
But I am not sure if it is possible to send registered mail around 6pm? If they send it on Friday, it still can be delivered on the 31st of March - Saturday,
but here we have another question - do they deliver registered mail to the Home Office on Saturdays?

And if it is delivered on Monday, April 2nd - will I have to pay the new fee? Any ideas or practical experience?

clairey · Post by **clairey** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:05 pm

AlexCh wrote:Does anybody know - when exactly the new price will come into force - on the 1st of April or on the 5th of April (new financial year)?

I have managed to book nationality check appointment urgently for my wife to submit her naturalisation application, problem is that
the appointment is on the 29th of March (Thursday - the only I could find) at 5pm and the NCS will send her papers by a registered mail -
the girl on the phone told me that the application will be delivered to the Home Office next day on Friday, 30th of March - which would be great.
But I am not sure if it is possible to send registered mail around 6pm? If they send it on Friday, it still can be delivered on the 31st of March - Saturday,
but here we have another question - do they deliver registered mail to the Home Office on Saturdays?

And if it is delivered on Monday, April 2nd - will I have to pay the new fee? Any ideas or practical experience?

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong John) they have to go by the date stamp on the envelope - so you should be fine!

Post by **John** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:41 pm

The new fees come into force on 1st April.

clairey wrote:I believe (correct me if I'm wrong John) they have to go by the date stamp on the envelope - so you should be fine!

Actually whilst that is correct for visa applications, for Citizenship applications it is the date of receipt by IND that counts.

AlexCh, if the appointment at the NCS office is on 29th March it looks as if you have (just) got in before the increase in fees.

AlexCh · Post by **AlexCh** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:24 pm

John wrote:The new fees come into force on 1st April.

clairey wrote:I believe (correct me if I'm wrong John) they have to go by the date stamp on the envelope - so you should be fine!
Actually whilst that is correct for visa applications, for Citizenship applications it is the date of receipt by IND that counts.

AlexCh, if the appointment at the NCS office is on 29th March it looks as if you have (just) got in before the increase in fees.

but it all depends on if they deliver registered mail on Saturdays or if NCS have ways to send the documents in the evenings after 6 - and I doubt they can do it.

olisun · Post by **olisun** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:26 pm

AlexCh wrote:but it all depends on if they deliver registered mail on Saturdays

Yes they do most of the times

AlexCh wrote: or if NCS have ways to send the documents in the evenings after 6 - and I doubt they can do it.

All the applications are sent by the NCS on the same day after 6 and they definitely reach the next day at the HO.

Marie B · Post by **Marie B** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 5:28 pm

I've been waiting for the new fees to be announced but that was a shock!! My husband and I should have gone ahead with the wedding in Jan 2005 rather than waiting until April 2005 (better weather!) - what a nightmare. I thought £500 was quite steep for the 'premium' service but £950? And I can imagine there's nothing premium about loitering around Lunar House all day. If only I was a European Union Citizen - oh, wait a minute - I am............ how come we seem to get worse treatment than other EU citizens living here with non-EU spouses???

My husband is self-employed and runs his own company - are visa fees tax deductable?

And why the relatively small increases for WP and HSMP Leave to Remain or is this something that has to be applied for in addition to a settlement ILR application? (In which case you have my sympathy).

Siggi · Post by **Siggi** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:15 pm

Hang on Guys, have I missed some thing here, but does it not say on the HO web site "proposed new fees", which must mean that it has not yet been approved or I'm wrong???

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:37 pm

"The new visa fees are quoted in pounds sterling below. These fees are effective for all visa applications made from 1 April 2007. Visa applicants should contact their nearest British mission overseas to find out the fee equivalent in local currency and how they can pay for their visa."

This is from the UKVisa site.
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front ... 1458613348

So, I'm under the assumption that it's all a go now.

shabrawy · Post by **shabrawy** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:57 pm

The old fees for naturalisation:
Naturalisation Joint 6(1) -£336 (includes two separate ceremony fees)

I couldn't find the new proposed fees for this category

Anyone knows??

.

tensailee · Post by **tensailee** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:01 pm

Angry? then sign the petition below!!

Your petition reads: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to abolish the proposed new fees for immigration applications on or after 1st April 2007.

Calling for the abolition of the unreasonable and unjustified increase of immigration application fees, which would be effective on and after 1st April 2007. The most noticeable increase are the application for Indefinite Leave to Remain, increased from Â£335 to Â£750 (premium rate increased from Â£500 to Â£950); and the application for Naturalisation, increased from Â£200 to Â£575. Furthermore, if an application was refused, no application fees will be refunded. This is utterly unfair and discriminatory towards many legitimate immigrants who live by the rules. This will, however, hardly affect those who are in the UK illegally, since they are highly unlikely to make any applications per sae. This has once again demonstrated the incompetence of the Home Office and the vulnerability of the legitimate immigrants who are lack of any representation in the democratic society.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/abolishtopupfees/

N.B. the above e-petition was submitted for No. 10 team's approval at 6pm 11/03/2007, his may take a little while. So if you can't sign it now, please come back later!!

shabrawy · Post by **shabrawy** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:19 pm

The old fees for naturalisation:
Naturalisation Joint 6(1): Â£336 (includes two separate ceremony fees)

I couldn't find the new proposed fees for this category

Anyone knows??

tensailee · Post by **tensailee** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:10 pm

Everyone who want to express their anger, please make sure you sign the petition!

Post by **Administrator** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:41 am

.

Marie B wrote:My husband is self-employed and runs his own company - are visa fees tax deductable?

Actually, yes.

Any business can write up an agreement to cover the fees necessary to bring in a worker. It is similar to relocation costs, etc.

Look into it. You'll need to study up the details, but the business can write it off as a business expense.

There is a difference between business expense, reimbursement of an employees expense, and special by-contract expense allowances for the employee.

I'm not familiar with Britain, so you might not get 100% back. In the U.S. and in Latvia I can & I have.

For example, I own my own business in Latvia. When I applied & received a work permit and then the residency visa, my company (me and my partner) made an agreement with me (the employee) to reimburse "all associated expenses" with relocation (from the U.S. to Latvia).

Plane ticket, shipping expenses and permits and visas all covered from the company budget and deducted as expenses.

I can do this with any employee that I can justify as bringing in from outside the country. I am no exception.

The Admin

Post by **Administrator** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:47 am

.

shabrawy wrote:The old fees for naturalisation:
Naturalisation Joint 6(1) -ï¿½336 (includes two separate ceremony fees)

I couldn't find the new proposed fees for this category

Anyone knows??

Nationality â€“ Minor single and multiple : 200 to 400

Here :

UK Home Office publishes new immigration schedule of fees
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2007_03_ ... _rates.htm

The full charts are published in *.html from the government *.pdf files.

The Admin

[ EDIT : Now with working links! ]

ismangil · Post by **ismangil** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:40 pm

I am still not clear regarding minor registration. So for two children registering because they are born in UK, and now parents are settled, is it 400 or 400x2.

Is it related to the fact that now each applicant has to apply on own form?

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:02 pm

Ok I'm confused now as well. My husband (Irish) and I (American) have a daughter born in the UK in 2005, before we were married. It was my understanding that she would automatically acquire British citizenship after we got married. Do we have to register her and pay the Â£400 fee or can we just apply for a passport for her?

ismangil · Post by **ismangil** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:19 pm

yankeegirl,

Which one of you are already citizen or settled? I asked because you said your husband is Irish not British.

There is no "automatic" citizenship unless the child was born by a citizen or permanent settler. Therefore you need to register her, if and when one of you became settled or citizen whichever comes first.

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:16 pm

Which one of you are already citizen or settled?

As far as I understand it, an Irish citizen is considered settled as soon as they move to the UK; but with all these changes I'm not sure if that's the case.

ismangil · Post by **ismangil** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:31 pm

yankeegirl wrote:
As far as I understand it, an Irish citizen is considered settled as soon as they move to the UK; but with all these changes I'm not sure if that's the case.

I see, maybe it is one of those special Irish UK agreement or something. Because under normal EU rule your husband still needs to apply for settlement after 5 years in the UK, to be really considered "settled".

ismangil · Post by **ismangil** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:42 pm

yankeegirl wrote:
As far as I understand it, an Irish citizen is considered settled as soon as they move to the UK; but with all these changes I'm not sure if that's the case.

Sorry, I forgot to reply to the main point of the child registration. If you look at MN1 (form and guidance) it may be worth a try registering your child. Of course it would be even better if you are both settled, but I guess even with spouse residence requirements you are still some years away?

tensailee · Post by **tensailee** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:41 pm

Hi all, thanks for your support.

It seems someone's done the honour for us already.. please make sure you sign the e-petition here:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Immigration-Fees/

Thanks again for making our voices heard.

pantaiema · Post by **pantaiema** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:19 pm

It is inappropriate to compare it with UEA. foreign citizen who are working in the UEA do not pay tax, do they ?

In the UK you pay, income tax, NI Contribution, Council Tax, etx

Pantaiema

sywahu wrote:It looks like this country is finally catching up with whats been happening in the middle east for many years i.e all visa categories carry a very heavy fee tag. ?1300 to get a work visa stamp in UAE for instance (ink one ) and this was about 8 years ago!

I was quite surprized many years ago when I came here that almost all visa endorsements etc were completely free. I guess that has finally come to a painful end.

I dread even trying to think about getting my wife's ILR transferred onto a new passport! Glad that I don't need it at the moment but I wouldn't be surprized if HO decides to change the law and "force transfers".

shabrawy · Post by **shabrawy** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:39 am

Has it been decieded to apply the new fees from the 2nd of April??

Any idea?

Post by **JAJ** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:21 am

yankeegirl wrote:Ok I'm confused now as well. My husband (Irish) and I (American) have a daughter born in the UK in 2005, before we were married. It was my understanding that she would automatically acquire British citizenship after we got married. Do we have to register her and pay the Â£400 fee or can we just apply for a passport for her?

Once you are married, you should just be able to apply for her to have a British passport. She acquires British citizenship automatically on the date of marriage under section 1(1)(b) and 47(1) of the British Nationality Act.

However, the people on the front desk of the Passport Office may not be able to deal with a less than simple nationality situation (there have been plenty of reports of them being unable to understand the nationality law).

So you should firstly get the Home Office IND (in Liverpool) to issue a letter confirming her British citizenship. Only then should you approach the Passport Office.

As she acquires British citizenship automatically, no fee for registration is payable.

Irish citizens, unlike other EU/EEA nationals, are considered "settled" in the UK without needing to meet the 5 year residence rules. The relevant extracts from the Nationality Instructions have been quoted on this forum before.

Immigrationboards.com: Immigration, work visa and work permit discussion board

Proposed New Fees from 1 April 2007