U.K. government increases student visa application fee by 285%

The government of the United Kingdom has announced an increase in student visa application fees from £127 to £490, an increase of 385%.

This was disclosed in a release by the Home Office yesterday. According to the release, the new cost will come into effect from October 4, following the new legislation being laid in Parliament.

Beyond the increase in student visa application fees, the British government also announced an increase in visit visa application fees from £100 to £115.

The statement said,

The Home Office reports that the increase will enable the office to run its immigration system without recourse to funding from British taxpayers.

It stated,

However, it should be noted that these increases are subject to deliberation from Parliament and are scheduled to come into effect from October 4, 2023.

It should be noted that the British government had in July announced a 15% increase in the cost of work visas and a 20% increase in the cost of priority student visas.

The United Kingdom is the top destination for most Nigerian students looking to study outside the country.

In 2022, the U.K. granted over 65,000 student visas to Nigerians, an increase of 79% when compared to the preceding year.