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| UK hikes student visa fees, introduces new visa |
| H S Rao/ PTI / London Apr 01, 2010, 16:33 IST |
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Britain today announced a steep hike of 54 pounds in the student visa fee and introduced a new category of 'dependent relative' visa as a part of its effort to attract those migrants and visitors who can "make a valued contribution".
The fees for the students' visa was raised from 145 pounds to 199 pounds while the dependent relative visa would be charged 1,680 pounds. The increased fees will come into from April 6.
"The new visa category of 'dependent relative' will allow the grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles and siblings over the age of 18 to join family members settled in the UK or being admitted for the purpose of settlement," an official announcement said. The hike also takes into account the cost of processing visa applications.
The fees for short term visit visa has been marginally increased from 67 pounds to 68 pounds.
The Tier 1 General, Investor, Entrepreneur visa fees has been increased from 675 pounds to 690 pounds while Tier 2 visa for skilled workers will charged 270 pounds from 265 pounds.
The 5-year multiple entry visa fees increased from 400 pounds to 429 pounds while charges for 10-year visa increased from 500 pounds to 610 pounds.
The Tier 4 student visa fee increased from 145 pounds to 199 pounds. The settlement visa fee will be 585 pounds to 644 pounds.
"Visa fees are reviewed regularly and agreed by the parliament. In setting the fees, the UK government aims to strike the correct balance between maintaining secure and effective borders and improving the visa service to customers, and ensuring that the fee structure supports the UK's ability to attract those migrants and visitors that make a valued contribution," the official release said.
"In most visa categories the maximum fee increase is 2.5 per cent. Some fees continue to be set at a level lower than the actual processing cost because it is considered to be in the interests of the UK to do so. Examples of subsidised visa categories include tourist visas and also the Tier 4 student visa which reflects the contribution made by international students to the UK economy and education."
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