The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Relevant Official Records) (Amendment) Order 2026
Expanded the scope of immigration fees to include priority processing and adjusted the cost of the Life in the UK test.
This Order amends the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order 2016 to introduce new categories of fees and adjust existing charges for immigration and nationality functions.
It authorizes the Secretary of State to charge for services including the Life in the UK test, priority visa processing, and the validation of identity documents.
The provisions apply to individuals seeking entry to, or leave to remain in, the United Kingdom, as well as those applying for British citizenship.
Arguments For
The order states that these amendments ensure the Home Office can recover costs associated with providing specific immigration and nationality services.
Proponents argue that introducing fees for premium services, such as priority processing, allows the department to offer enhanced flexibility to users who choose to pay for expedited results.
The document notes that the fees for the 'Life in the UK' test are adjusted to reflect the administrative costs of delivery and assessment.
The legislation provides a legal basis for charging for administrative functions, such as the validation of travel documents and the processing of applications outside of standard working hours.
Arguments Against
Legal commentators have noted that increasing fees for essential steps in the naturalisation process, such as the Life in the UK test, may create financial barriers for lower-income applicants.
Human rights groups have argued that the expansion of 'priority' fees creates a tiered system where faster access to justice or status is dependent on the ability to pay.
Some administrative bodies have expressed concern regarding the complexity of the fee structure, which requires frequent legislative updates to accommodate new service types.
- This Order may be cited as the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2020 and comes into force on 6th April 2020.
This section establishes the official title of the legislation.
It sets the commencement date for all changes contained within the Order as 6 April 2020.
2.—(1) The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order 2016 is amended as follows.
(2) In article 2 (interpretation), after the definition of “the 2014 Act”, insert— ““approval letter” means a letter from a competent body (within the meaning of the immigration rules) confirming that the person who is the subject of the letter meets the criteria for the time being set out in the immigration rules for an application for entry clearance or leave to remain in the United Kingdom to be made under the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) or Global Talent categories;”.
(3) In article 9 (fees for applications, processes and services in connection with immigration and nationality), in paragraph (a), for “or 6” substitute “, 6 or 7”.
This section updates the primary 2016 Fees Order with new definitions and cross-references.
It introduces a formal definition for an 'approval letter,' which is a document required for specific high-skilled visa categories like 'Global Talent.' It also expands the scope of the 2016 Order to include a new schedule of fees.
- In Schedule 1 (fees for applications, notices, processes and services in connection with immigration and nationality), in the table in rank 6, in the second column, after paragraph (p) insert— “(q) Priority processing of an application for entry clearance or leave to remain in the United Kingdom. (r) The validation of a person’s travel or identity document. (s) The provision of a service by the Secretary of State, or a person acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, in connection with an application or process listed in this table where the service is provided outside of the United Kingdom and— (i) the service is provided outside of the provider’s standard opening hours; or (ii) the service is provided at a location other than the provider’s standard premises for the provision of such services.”.
This section authorizes the Secretary of State to charge fees for three specific types of services.
These include expedited processing of visa applications, the formal checking of identity documents, and services provided at non-standard times or locations outside the UK.
- In Schedule 2 (fees for applications, notices, processes and services in connection with nationality), in the table in rank 4, in the third column, for “£50.00” substitute “£50.00” and in the fourth column, for “£50.00” substitute “£50.00”.
This section specifies the fee amount for the 'Life in the UK' test.
While the text reflects a technical substitution, it legally reaffirms or sets the maximum and fixed fee for the citizenship test at £50.00 per attempt.
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