Home Office Fee Changes 2026: ILR, Visa & Citizenship Costs Updated

What changed on 8 April 2026?

On 8 April 2026, the Home Office increased the large majority of immigration and nationality application fees by approximately 6 to 7%. The increases affect applicants both inside and outside the UK, and employers who sponsor international workers. The Statement of Changes HC 259 (laid 9 July 2026) confirmed that fees remain at these rates, with no further increases introduced in September 2026.

Confirmed 2026 fee structure (HC 259 verified)

ILR fee: now £3,226 per person

The standard Indefinite Leave to Remain application fee rose from £3,029 to £3,226 on 8 April 2026, an increase of £197 per applicant. This applies to all ILR routes: Skilled Worker, Long Residence, Spouse, BNO and others. Every applicant, including children, pays the full fee. A family of four now faces over £12,900 in Home Office fees alone, before biometrics, tests and legal costs.

The fee was £2,885 before April 2025, then rose to £3,029, and has now risen again to £3,226: a 12% increase over just two years. According to migration charities, the ILR fee has risen by over 500% since 2014.

One piece of good news: child citizenship fees fell

In an unusual move, the Home Office reduced the fee for child citizenship registration from £1,214 to £1,000 from 8 April 2026. This follows sustained campaigning by children’s rights groups, who argued the previous fee was disproportionate for children who grew up in the UK. Children’s naturalisation applications were also reduced to £1,000.

Skilled Worker salary compliance change: 7 April 2026

Alongside the fee changes, an important Skilled Worker compliance rule took effect on 7 April 2026: sponsored workers must now be paid at least the minimum salary in each pay period, rather than on an average across the year. Previously an employer could underpay in some months and compensate in others; now UKVI can detect breaches period by period. Workers on irregular pay structures or commission-heavy salaries should make sure their base pay meets the threshold every month, as non-compliance could affect visa validity and the ability to complete the qualifying period for ILR.

English language requirement rise: confirmed for March 2027

Through HC 1691, laid before Parliament in March 2026, the English language requirement for most settlement routes (ILR) will rise from CEFR level B1 to B2 from 26 March 2027. This is not yet in force: if you apply for ILR before March 2027, B1 still applies. If your ILR date falls after that, you will need to pass a B2-level approved English language test (IELTS SELT at B2, for example).

B2 is roughly equivalent to A-level standard, a meaningful step up from B1. If English is not your first language, start preparing now rather than leaving it to the last minute.

What if I applied before 8 April 2026?

If your application was submitted and the fee paid before 8 April 2026, the old fee applies and you do not need to pay the difference. The new fee applies only to applications submitted on or after 8 April 2026. Partially completed or saved online applications do not lock in earlier fee levels: the fee is determined by the date of submission and payment, not the date you started filling in the form.

Detailed history of ILR fee adjustments

UK immigration application fees have risen steadily over the last decade, making settlement one of the most expensive processes in the world. The latest major change took place on 8 April 2026, when the standard Indefinite Leave to Remain application fee was increased to £3,226 per person (up from the previous fee of £3,029).

Historically, Home Office fees were designed to cover administrative processing costs. Current fees are set above cost price to fund wider border enforcement and the public services budget. This policy has drawn substantial criticism from migrant support groups and trade unions, but the government has confirmed that fees will remain high to reduce the burden on domestic taxpayers.

IHS and priority service cost increments

While ILR applicants do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), they face substantial costs if they want a fast decision. The standard service takes up to 6 months. For priority processing, you must pay:

• Priority service (£500): a decision within 5 working days of biometric submission.
• Super priority service (£1,000): a decision within 24 hours (the next working day).

These fees are charged on top of the base application fee of £3,226. If you apply as a family, every member must pay the priority fee for the cases to be processed together, which can add thousands of pounds to the total.

Budgeting for family settlement applications

Because there are no discounts for children or secondary dependants, the total cost for a family to settle in the UK is extremely high. A family of four (two adults and two children) applying in September 2026 faces a base cost of £12,904 in application fees alone.

Adding biometric fees (£19.20 per person), Life in the UK tests (£50 per adult) and English language exams (£150 per adult) brings the standard processing budget to £13,380.80 (£12,904 + £76.80 + £100 + £300). If the family needs super priority processing (£1,000 per person) to avoid travel disruption, the budget rises to £17,380.80. Plan for these costs months in advance.

Payment processing failures and declines

A common administrative hurdle when submitting a visa application is a payment failure. Because Home Office transactions are large, bank security algorithms frequently flag them as potential fraud and decline the payment.

If a transaction is declined, the Home Office portal may lock you out or cancel the session, forcing you to start the application form again. To prevent this, contact your card provider in advance to authorise the large payment, verify your credit limit, and make sure you have sufficient cleared funds in your account.

Fee changes preparation checklist

Make sure you are financially prepared for your application:

• Confirm the current fee: verify that the application fee is £3,226 per person before completing your payment.
• Call your bank early: ask your credit or debit card issuer to raise daily transaction limits and whitelist the Home Office merchant code.
• Separate accounts: if paying for multiple dependants, have multiple cards or pre-approved funds ready.
• Life in the UK and language tests: book and pass tests early so you do not waste fee payments on incomplete submissions.
• Emergency fund: keep a buffer of £1,000 for unexpected priority slot bookings or document scanning fees.