I have been contacted by constituents about Immigration and Citizenship Fees.
As the Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South, I have included below my response:
I understand concerns regarding this issue and constituents’ sentiments about the current system of fees being unfair. I hope I can outline the reasons for the fees and why they are necessary.
The charging of fees is not a profit-making process. All income generated above the estimated unit cost is used to fund the wider Migration and Borders system. Income from fees charged for immigration and nationality applications plays a vital role in the Home Office’s ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system.
The principle of charging above cost has been in operation for over 10 years. Indeed, a consultation was held in 2013 on this charging principle and is included in the Immigration Act 2014. Under the provisions of the Act, Parliament agreed fees could be set by taking factors such as wider immigration system costs into account.
Setting fees above the level of processing costs allows the Government to invest in improvements to the wider immigration service, for example enhancing its security provision and further digitising processes for improved efficiency. I understand the Government will continue to apply these charging principles, as agreed by Parliament, in any proposed fee changes.
Thank you to those constituents who took the time to contact me about this issue.
