The Home Office has decided to consult the public on the fees it charges in the area of immigration. This is the chance for employers and individuals to feed back to the Government on the level of fees as well as the types of service for which fees are levied.
Having said that, the introduction of the consultation contains the heavily-loaded statement that the Home Office's receipts from general taxation will drop over the coming years. Accordingly, the consultation is inevitably a preliminary step before a hike in charges is announced.
The consultation suggests that more premium services may be introduced. For example, it is possible that there will be a premium route at border control locations. The document also indicates that the Home Office is considering keeping application fees for rejected or invalid applications, which are currently refunded. If this is introduced, it will mean that it is of paramount importance that each application submitted is as close to perfect as possible. This is particularly so, given that the Immigration Bill intends to take rights of appeal away from the majority of migrants.
The consultation closes on 3 December 2013. Consultation documentation can be viewed here.
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