Cost for student/spousal visas to increase to £430 and £495

The Home Office opened a consultation today to increase visa fees.  They are thinking about 430 - 495 for a spousal.  Crikey. 

The fees will not increase until after the consultation is closed, if you wanted to get your 2 cents in, you can write to them during the consultation.  If there was an across-the-board sentiment one way or the other, then the moderators should probably handle it...

  Oh my...

Goodness!  And I thought the £250 we paid for my spousal visa was a lot!   

The fees will not increase until after the consultation is closed,

Two questions, garry - first does this reply to leave to remain or just to entry clearance visas? Second, how long does a consultation usually last? I'm aiming to go in the week after my wedding - so within 4 weeks. Yikes! 

I paid $494 for my spousal visa...I was under the impression that it was $455 and when we got into the british consulate office saw a notice on the wall stating that it was $494, I about died, thankfully I had the extra cash on me to bring it up to the needed amount, for both my son and I, so in all....for our visas, I paid just a little under $1,000.....grrrrr

Same thing happened to me aacchhoo-it was printed everywhere (including the wall when we went in July) as $455.  When we got up to the desk to pay, they said it was $494.  What can you do when you're standing there. . . your entire life is in the consulate's hands. . .you have no choice but to fork over the extra money with your mouth shut!

Two questions, garry - first does this reply to leave to remain or just to entry clearance visas?

AFAIK, everything's subject to a price increase.  It makes sense, with the exception of Tier 1 work permits.

Second, how long does a consultation usually last? I'm aiming to go in the week after my wedding - so within 4 weeks. Yikes! 

They can't touch you if you are already in the pipeline.  Don't worry about it.

I think £250 is about right, so I don't support an increase.

Btw the $455/$494 thing people mentioned is purely a fluctuation in the £ to $ exchange rate. The fee hadn't 'gone up' it was always £250, the $ just got weaker against the £.

Holy cow!  Ouch!  I'm going to go cry now.   :\\\'(  I mean, my love and marriage are priceless...but, unfortunately, we're both poor.....~~shakes head in utter turmoil and frustration~~

CRIKEY!!!    That is a huge increase!  I hope you guys get in before it happens.

Alas, I can't apply for ILR until March of next year... :\\\'(  Gives them plenty of time to put this in place.

They can't touch you if you are already in the pipeline.  Don't worry about it.

Ah, but I'm actually not in the pipeline. I don't think I can start my FLR (M) app. until we've got our marriage certificate, correct? Uf. PLEASE let them hold out until 4 October (the date I'm aiming for as it's the only one after our wedding for WEEKS that Jamie and I can both take off!!!!)

AnneG, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you read it, they are saying that the earliest it would come into force would be April 2005. Take a few deep breaths now...

Oh thank goodness. Thank you tanis. I need to be told to breathe more often than not these days - stress (but at least stress over good things!  )

I guess we should be happy we're getting a heads-up at all on this.

If only I had applied for FLR 2 weeks earlier, it would have been for 1 year not 2 - but the Home Office website wasn't even updated for quite a while (where it mattered) after it went into effect.