🇬🇧 Navigating the Transition to a UK Visa: Family Dependents’ Status and Comprehensive Fee Guide for 2024

Are you contemplating a change in your UK visa category and worried about how it will impact your family members? It’s crucial to ensure that your dependents’ visas remain valid during this transition.

Particularly for students considering the shift to a Graduate Visa, often referred to as the post-study employment visa, this guide provides clarity on whether your family can continue as dependents.

Understanding Dependent Eligibility: It’s important to recognize that children or spouses might qualify as dependents. However, they can only follow you on this new journey if they are already eligible dependents under your current student visa.

Upon approval, their visa duration will match yours. Application requires separate submissions for each family member, along with the corresponding visa fees.

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Complete Guide to UK Visa Fees in 2024 ~ UK Visa 2024

Applying for any UK visa – be it for work, study, or visitation – demands awareness of the latest fee structures, which is essential for planning and budgeting. In October 2023, the UK Home Office updated some visa application fees. This section outlines these changes to provide a clear understanding of the costs involved.

Highlights of Application Fees:

  • Work Visa (Outside the UK):
    1. Innovator Funder (main applicant and dependents): £1,191
    2. Skilled Worker a. Certificate of sponsorship ≤ 3 years: £719 b. Certificate of sponsorship > 3 years: £1,420
    3. Health and Care Visa a. ≤ 3 years: £284 b. > 3 years: £551
    4. Global Talent Visa a. With approval letter: £192 b. Without approval letter: £716

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  • Work Visa (Inside the UK):
    1. Innovator Funder (main applicant and dependents): £1,486
    2. Skilled Worker a. Certificate of sponsorship ≤ 3 years: £827 b. Certificate of sponsorship > 3 years: £1,500
    3. Graduate Route (main applicant and dependents): £822
  • Sponsorship Application Fees:
    1. Premium service for large sponsors: £25,000
    2. Certificate of sponsorship a. Skilled worker: £239 b. Temporary worker: £25
  • Study Visa Fees:
    • Student visa (inside and outside the UK): £490
  • General UK Visa Fees:
    • Standard visitor Visa a. Up to 6 months: £115 b. 2 years: £400 c. 5 years: £771 d. 10 years: £963
  • Hong Kong British National (Overseas): a. 30 months: £180 b. 5 years: £250
  • British Citizenship Fees:
    • Naturalization: £1,500
    • Registration as a British citizen a. Adults: £1,351 b. Children: £1,214

Applicants must factor in significant fees, including premium processing services and immigration health surcharges, when applying for UK visas.

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British Citizenship Updates for Spouses & Dependents 2024

Are you evaluating the citizenship status of your spouse in the UK? The requirements for naturalization, including residency prerequisites, exemptions, unique scenarios, and additional application requisites, are covered in this section.

Residency Criteria

Marrying a British citizen modifies the residency requirements for naturalization. You must have resided in the UK for at least three years before applying, with no more than 270 days spent abroad during this period and not exceeding 90 days in the year preceding the application.

Exemptions and Special Circumstances

The Home Office may waive residency criteria in certain situations, like when a spouse is working abroad for the UK government.

Other considerations include health issues or travel restrictions preventing UK residency at the start of the three-year period.

Additional Application Criteria

Meeting the residency requirement is just part of the application. Candidates must also have either Indefinite Leave to Remain, Settled Status, or Indefinite Leave to Enter the UK, show residency evidence for precisely three years before applying, demonstrate good character, pass the Life in the UK test, and have proficiency in English, Welsh, or Scottish.

Application Cost and Processing Time

The fee for naturalization is set at £1,500 from October 4, 2023. The Home Office typically decides within six months, though it can vary. Spouses of British nationals should be fully aware of these residency requirements and additional criteria to ensure a successful application.

For detailed information on visas, fees, and application processes, visit the UK Home Office website.

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