New Fees from April

What's not noticed in this schedule unless your family visitors are visa-nationals is that they have wiped away the benefit of the longer term visitor visas.  What's immediately apparent after you see that part is that the new costs are exclusionary to family visitors from the less fortunate countries than the US. 

I just noticed that they've also raised fees for things that don't exist, like Tier 1 general at the PEO and transitional Tier 1 from the second stage of the HSMP application. Are they still expecting people to be transitional HSMP applicants by April?!

Not completely terrible, but the whole principle of raising fees is rubbish anyway.

The difference in internal costs between a short-term visitor and a long-term visitor is GBP 26.  What extra can be going on for GBP 26? 

inflation    ha ha ha

Another on the boat to the island of "relieved" that it isn't as bad as I expected. Still makes me nervous as I will be good for my ILR in Oct 2010...if it's still there.

It's not as bad as I expected either.  Luckily I can apply for citizenship before anything changes again.  Last time, for ILR, I applied in May, right after all the cost went up in April.

If I'd been really smart, I wouldn't have gotten married in April!

Well time to get my act together and apply for citizenship now to save a few £'s. Thanks for the heads-up.

Well time to get my act together and apply for citizenship now to save a few £'s. Thanks for the heads-up.

Believe me when I say that isn't the only reason why you should consider Citizenship if you are eligable.

Believe me when I say that isn't the only reason why you should consider Citizenship if you are eligable.

Oh, I'm well aware, but it is a kick up the ars* to get the forms sorted before I had a originally planned to send them in June after I finished paying my student loan!

Oh, I'm well aware, but it is a kick up the ars* to get the forms sorted before I had a originally planned to send them in June after I finished paying my student loan!

Assuming you have the referees lined up, compared to ILR, citizenship paperwork is pretty easy.

What's not noticed in this schedule unless your family visitors are visa-nationals is that they have wiped away the benefit of the longer term visitor visas.  

Yes, that does seem strange, given that there was a push to market the long term visas and the cost effectiveness was the major selling point.

It's also strange the way they've labelled them i.e. "Long term up to 2 years" - well why not just say one year? No one gets a visit visa for 1 year and 364 days.

Yes, that does seem strange, given that there was a push to market the long term visas and the cost effectiveness was the major selling point.

Chronology:

1.  Hire a high street consultant to dream up a marketing campaign
2.  Implement the marketing campaign
3.  Blow away steps 1 and 2
4.  Raise fees to recover the costs of 1 2 and 3

 

ugh!!
they are conveniently taking a long time to return apps so i don't dare to try to squeeze mine in before my son flies to america 4-20 of april!
it's going to be the increased ilr + 50 now! just when i thought i'd saved enough pennies!

My apologies for appearing to be royally thick, but which one applies to the fiance visa?

I did not see it specified.. Unless it is not going up... Is such a thing even possible???!!!

As an aside, how much is a fiance visa these days? (I dread to even ask...)

Thanks