UK hikes three-fold visa fees for immigrant dependants

Britain today announced a nearly three-fold hike in the visa fee for settlement of elderly dependents including parents and grand parents of immigrants, raising the amount from from 2010-11, a move that will impact people from India and other countries.

Announcing the massive visa fee hike from the current 585 pounds to 1680 pounds in the House of Commons, the minister of state for borders and immigration, Phil Woolas said the long term visit visa would go up marginally from 215 pounds to 230 pounds for up to two years and from 400 to 420 pounds for up to five years.

Long term visit visa for up to 10 years will increase from 500 pounds to 610 pounds. But for settlement visa for dependent relative the fees will rise from 585 pounds to 1680 pounds.

The move will impact people from India and other countries. Indians constitute a huge expatriate population in the UK.

For applications made in Britain to bring over elderly dependent parents and grand parents, the fees will be £1,930 and a separate 10 per cent charge for every child.

Elderly dependents who pay the increased feel will be exempted from sitting in an English-language test which is compulsory for anyone  settling down in Britain. An estimated 5,000 people apply for such visas every year.

On the other hand, the government will try out a new fast track scheme for skilled migrants who do not want to visit the immigration office to renew their visas.