A public consultation on visa and immigration fees launched by the UK government earlier this month, is calling on those in the trade to submit their comments before its annual review of fees.
“The UK government is keen to hear the views and opinions of key stakeholders and interested parties both in the UK and abroad. The purpose of this consultation is to look at the charging principles for immigration and visas,” explains Andy Newlands, operations manager for Southern Africa at the British High Commission in Pretoria.
The consultation document focuses on the underlying basis on which the UK sets fees and states: “We will need to ensure that fee levels for the next financial year generate the income required to manage the system and invest in improving services, while reducing the contribution from general taxation.”
The document calls for contributor comments with regard to whether the fees should be more than administrative costs to help cover funds for the overall immigration system. It also asks for feedback, as higher fees would make visas more expensive than the UK’s competitors, and lower fees would reduce the funding available to manage the immigration system and border security.
Any visa changes would affect all tourists entering the UK, including South Africans.
“Currently UK visa fees are set globally,” says Andy. “Visa fees are set on a global basis for simplicity – we don’t adjust according to the circumstances in individual countries.”
A UK tourist visa is currently £80 (R1 309). UK tourist visas became mandatory for South Africans in January 2012.
See the consultation document here.
