My Lords, I am sure the Committee will recall that after discussion in Grand Committee I came to the House on 28 January and obtained approval to amend the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order 2011, which provides powers to charge for visa, immigration and nationality applications and services. I indicated at the time that I would return to debate the specific fees charged for the applications and services within the scope of that order.
These fees are set out in regulations made under Section 51 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. A subset of those fees set above costs is then set out in accordance with the powers granted in Section 42 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004, as amended by Section 20 of the UK Borders Act 2007. Noble Lords will have seen the Immigration Minister’s Written Statement of 25 February, and I am happy to take points on any of the fee proposals here today, whether contained in these regulations or in those that will be laid shortly for fees set at or below the cost of processing.
We have sought to limit most increases to 3%, which is in line with recent measures of inflation. The fees that have increased by more than 3% include the following. First, the indefinite leave to remain fee is increasing from £991 to £1,051. The right to stay indefinitely in the UK is the most valuable entitlement provided by any product offered by the UK Border Agency. It is right that the fee for this product should not be exceeded by that for any products for migrants staying temporarily in the UK.
Secondly, for dependants applying to extend their leave in the UK at the same time as the main applicant, their fees were previously set at half the main applicant’s fees. We are reducing the concession on these fees so
that those dependants will pay 75% of a main applicant’s fees. This is consistent with our policy to better align fees for applications made in the UK with those made overseas, where all dependants pay the full fee. It also reflects that each individual on an application may receive an independent set of entitlements, which will result in additional administration costs.
Thirdly, on registering for British citizenship, different fees currently apply to applications for naturalisation and those for registration, even though 99% of registration applicants receive the same status: namely, British citizenship. It is fair that those who receive the same entitlements pay the same fee. The fee for applying to register for citizenship will therefore increase to £673 as a first step towards alignment with naturalisation fees.
The fees for some applications have increased to reflect unit costs. These include those for reissues of or corrections to nationality certificates, nationality status and non-acquisition letters, and sponsors’ fees for tier 5 certificates of sponsorship and the tier 4 confirmation of acceptance for studies. It should be noted that some fees have also reduced in line with unit costs, including those for the transfer of conditions, renunciation of nationality and settlement visas for refugees’ dependent relatives.
We are also introducing some new fees. As I said when we debated the fees order, we are amending the way in which fees for applications made in person are structured. The main changes are as follows. A single uplift fee of £375 is payable, in addition to the relevant standard fee for applications made in person. This replaces a large number of public enquiry office fees in the existing regulations. The £375 in-person fee includes £100 payable for the arrangement of an in-person appointment. The fee is being introduced to tackle abuse of the public enquiry office booking system by organisations and individuals who have been making speculative appointments but then failing to attend. Such actions deprive genuine applicants of the opportunity to attend a PEO and damage a legitimate revenue stream for the UK Government.
A priority service fee of £275 for the expedited processing of standard applications via some routes will also be charged within the UK. Initially, this will be offered to selected tier 2 in-the-UK applicants, although we intend a phased rollout of the service to remaining temporary and permanent migration routes in future. In response to requests for such a service from universities and colleges, we are introducing, following a successful pilot, an extension of optional premium services to education sector sponsors in tier 4. Sponsors will pay £8,000 per year for an enhanced level of customer services.
A further £55 charge will be made for applications for documentation from EEA nationals and their non-EEA family members who are exercising free movement rights in the UK. Charging for these documents is common across Europe, and £55 will help the UK Border Agency to cover some of the administrative costs of this facility. Further, an extended-validity visa will be charged at £80 for those involved in the preparation of the Commonwealth Games, which are being held in Glasgow next year.
We have also taken the opportunity to split the fee for the tier 1 exceptional talent route to encourage more people to apply. As a result, migrants will know whether they are considered talented by the competent bodies before making and paying for a leave application. Following recent policy changes and a significant fee reduction, we also expect to see more applications via the graduate entrepreneur route.
The latest published data on UK Border Agency processing show that 91% of all applications received by the agency are processed within service standards. The majority of those applications are for visas for people coming to the UK, and we are exceeding our service standards for non-settlement visas. Where issues have arisen, particularly in the UK, the agency has taken steps to address them and expects that most of the affected application routes will be back within service standards by spring 2013.
Legal migration brings economic, cultural and social benefits to the UK. We shall continue to ensure that fees for immigration and nationality send a clear signal overseas that this country welcomes genuine visitors and the brightest and best migrants. These proposals support that message. We shall continue to monitor the economic, equality and diversity impacts of our changes. We shall ensure that our fees continue to be priced at competitive levels when compared with those in other key countries. These regulations provide a basis for a sustainable immigration system that will command public support, and I commend them to the Committee.