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Topic: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%  (Read 5431 times)

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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #30 on: January 12, 2016, 02:47:36 PM »
This has really set me off.  I'm in a fortunate position of having the money to pay the fees.  I don't like it, but I can.

There are a lot of couples out there that combined just qualify with the £18,600 requirement.  At £1,875 for ILR, that's more than 10% of their gross annual salary.  Seriously, it is all about money.  I bet there is a big rise in illegal overstays as a result...

See, this is exactly the thing. This government (and the people who support them) bang on and on about reducing illegal overstays, and wanting to ensure that immigrants 'integrate' into Britain. Yet every change they've made ensures pretty much the direct opposite will occur.

Making people wait five years instead of three to achieve some modicum of security (in the form of ILR) means that you're not fully secure in your standing for a very significant chunk of time. Why fully integrate if you feel that it might be a good idea to keep one foot in another country, culturally or otherwise, just in case.

Moreover, it creates an inherent power imbalance in a relationship -- relying on someone else for your legal status is potentially extremely precarious. Creating a system that casts that shadow (however minimal) over a relationship does not give the migrant a firm foundation from which to integrate.

Then you add a big ol' portion of financial concerns. Spending five-plus years stressed about paying extortionate rates (as opposed to being generally irritated, which is my lucky privilege) is absolutely toxic to being able to jump in and participate in British culture (let's face it, going places and doing things costs money). Maybe the idea is that the migrant will essentially have to work and/or find a higher-paying jobs -- but then you get to be the 'immigrant stealing jobs from Brits' -- so it's really a no-win on the integration front.

Top it all with the NHS checking your paperwork, the 'spot checks' I've seen at London tube stations, landlords/agents turning people away for not having a 'native' accent ...  yeah, migrants are feeling so at home. This government has done nothing but codify that feeling of division -- and, cynically, I think it's been deliberate, so that they can turn around and say 'See! They're not integrating!' and make the system even more hideous to the already-marginalised, in particular the working class and the poor.


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #31 on: January 12, 2016, 02:52:07 PM »

See, this is exactly the thing. This government (and the people who support them) bang on and on about reducing illegal overstays, and wanting to ensure that immigrants 'integrate' into Britain. Yet every change they've made ensures pretty much the direct opposite will occur.

Making people wait five years instead of three to achieve some modicum of security (in the form of ILR) means that you're not fully secure in your standing for a very significant chunk of time. Why fully integrate if you feel that it might be a good idea to keep one foot in another country, culturally or otherwise, just in case.

Moreover, it creates an inherent power imbalance in a relationship -- relying on someone else for your legal status is potentially extremely precarious. Creating a system that casts that shadow (however minimal) over a relationship does not give the migrant a firm foundation from which to integrate.

Then you add a big ol' portion of financial concerns. Spending five-plus years stressed about paying extortionate rates (as opposed to being generally irritated, which is my lucky privilege) is absolutely toxic to being able to jump in and participate in British culture (let's face it, going places and doing things costs money). Maybe the idea is that the migrant will essentially have to work and/or find a higher-paying jobs -- but then you get to be the 'immigrant stealing jobs from Brits' -- so it's really a no-win on the integration front.

Top it all with the NHS checking your paperwork, the 'spot checks' I've seen at London tube stations, landlords/agents turning people away for not having a 'native' accent ...  yeah, migrants are feeling so at home. This government has done nothing but codify that feeling of division -- and, cynically, I think it's been deliberate, so that they can turn around and say 'See! They're not integrating!' and make the system even more hideous to the already-marginalised, in particular the working class and the poor.

I could not agree more with all of this. The biggest strain on my relationship has definitely been visas/worry over not being able to be physically present in each other's lives.


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #32 on: January 12, 2016, 03:02:56 PM »
To top it all off, the family on this page that did everything "wrong" in applying for visas and refusing to pay or apply from the US, has been granted their visa.

Seriously, why do we bother?  You can stay if you don't follow the rules, so why follow them?


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #33 on: January 12, 2016, 04:31:32 PM »
For some reason (possibly my own blind stupidity) I can't see the spouse visa increase on there, nor the increase for priority processing.

Can someone post that? Thanks.


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Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #34 on: January 12, 2016, 04:34:56 PM »
The spousal visa is on page 4, and is called 'Route to Settlement'... Was £956, increasing to £1,195!

The priority processing one is on page 10 - 'Priority Visa Service - Settlement'... Was £300, increasing to £450


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« Last Edit: January 12, 2016, 04:39:23 PM by ksand24 »


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #35 on: January 12, 2016, 04:35:44 PM »
Plus our good ole friend the NHS Levy of £500 (shocked they aren't doubling that too!)

Get it in before April 6th and you'll avoid the increase.  :)


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Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #36 on: January 12, 2016, 04:38:15 PM »
Yeah, so applying for a spousal visa with NHS levy and priority processing is increasing from £1,856 to £2,145 (if my maths is right... Did it in my head)


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« Last Edit: January 12, 2016, 04:42:36 PM by ksand24 »


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Here 2 years as of Oct. 1, 2016.


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #38 on: January 12, 2016, 05:51:02 PM »
I know that the Internet is not the best at conveying people's attitudes and sentiments sometimes. I was just letting you know how you come across to me, and, I suspect, others here. 

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I've always found Sirius to be matter of fact and to the point. Just because Sirius doesn't sugarcoat things or want to hold someone's hand through the process doesn't mean they're a raging anti-immigration Tory, they say what they mean without all the fluff. It takes all kinds.

Personally, I find what you said about Sirius to be rather rude and uncalled for.
The usual. American girl meets British guy. They fall into like, then into love. Then there was the big decision. The American traveled across the pond to join the Brit. And life was never the same again.


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #39 on: January 12, 2016, 06:00:04 PM »

I've always found Sirius to be matter of fact and to the point. Just because Sirius doesn't sugarcoat things or want to hold someone's hand through the process doesn't mean they're a raging anti-immigration Tory, they say what they mean without all the fluff. It takes all kinds.

Personally, I find what you said about Sirius to be rather rude and uncalled for.

Fair enough. As I said, I could be way off base and I was only expressing how she came across to me. My interpretations are coloured by about 3 years of posting here and reading her posts back when she had a different username, long before you joined. And I think that's probably why I reacted that way.


Sirius, I didn't mean to be rude so I apologise for that. My emotions likely got the better of me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
April 11, 2012-Began talking online
June 2012-Officially dating
August 2012-Met in person
Aug 2012-Nov 2012-Tier 4 (General)
Aug 2014-present- Tier 4
Oct 2015-Wedding!!! and spouse visa sometime after that and before the Tier 4 expires


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #40 on: January 12, 2016, 06:01:44 PM »

I've always found Sirius to be matter of fact and to the point. Just because Sirius doesn't sugarcoat things or want to hold someone's hand through the process doesn't mean they're a raging anti-immigration Tory, they say what they mean without all the fluff. It takes all kinds.

Personally, I find what you said about Sirius to be rather rude and uncalled for.

Fair enough. As I said, I could be way off base and I was only expressing how she came across to me. My interpretations are coloured by about 3 years of posting here and reading her posts back when she had a different username, long before you joined. And I think that's probably why I reacted that way.


Sirius, I didn't mean to be rude so I apologise for that. My emotions likely got the better of me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
April 11, 2012-Began talking online
June 2012-Officially dating
August 2012-Met in person
Aug 2012-Nov 2012-Tier 4 (General)
Aug 2014-present- Tier 4
Oct 2015-Wedding!!! and spouse visa sometime after that and before the Tier 4 expires


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #41 on: January 12, 2016, 06:05:09 PM »
Thanks for the help Ksand24 and KFDancer. So it's gone from costing an arm and a leg, to an arm and a leg and a few more fingers.  :(


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #42 on: January 12, 2016, 06:22:27 PM »
We will know the fee rises soon. Did anyone else notice this from that link?

The new legislation will set maximum levels on the amounts for broad categories of fees that can be charged by the Home Office over the next 4 years. There are no current plans to raise fees to the maximum levels.

It's was the "no current plans" that caught my eye.

I noticed that too. They listed the proposed maximum increase in the document shown with the increases for next year too @ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/491069/Fees_Table_-_table_with_further_detail_of_indicative_fees_for_2016-17.pdf
Spouse Visa Granted: 20 January 2016 - Arrived in UK: 27 February 2016 - FLR(M) Granted: 12 November 2018 - LiTUK Test Passed: 6 March 2021 - ILR Application Submitted: 13 March 2021 - Biometrics: 10 April 2021 - ILR Approved 25 August 2021 - UK Citizenship Application Submitted: 20 September 2021 - Biometrics: 12 October 2021 - Email Invite to Citizenship Ceremony: 15 November 2021


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #43 on: January 12, 2016, 06:28:55 PM »
Personally, I find what you said about Sirius to be rather rude and uncalled for.

Just out of curiosity, what was rude?

I just hope that more people will ignore the fatalism of the argument that we are beyond repair. We are not beyond repair. We are never beyond repair. - AOC


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Re: Settlement visa fees going up another 25%
« Reply #44 on: January 12, 2016, 06:42:54 PM »
Just out of curiosity, what was rude?

I know you differ politically from the vast majority of us on this board, but have a little compassion. Your posts are often extremely cold and unfeeling towards immigrants generally, though factually accurate. Honestly, the tone of your posts often reflect the blind anti-immigrant sentiment of the current government and I know I don't find it particularly nice to be met with that on a board for immigrants. No one here wants to circumvent the rules and I know you know that, but we (the expats) all identify with these struggles and see the injustices of the immigration system getting worse and worse every year. These kinds of rules will decide whether I get to see my family in America on the years when I have a visa renewal. Visa fees don't affect you at all personally but they sure do have an impact on us.
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Bolded for rudeness.
The usual. American girl meets British guy. They fall into like, then into love. Then there was the big decision. The American traveled across the pond to join the Brit. And life was never the same again.


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