A House of Commons delegated-legislation committee on 24 February approved the Draft Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2026, which lifts the statutory maxima that the Home Office may charge for a wide range of applications. The cap for the ETA will rise from £16 to £20, paving the way for a planned price increase later this year, while the two-year visit-visa ceiling moves from £475 to £506.
Maximum fees for settlement, naturalisation and certain dependent-relative visas will all increase by roughly 1–3 per cent, tracking inflation and helping to fund the migration-and-borders portfolio. Minister Mike Tapp told MPs that actual fee changes will require separate secondary legislation but that advance approval of higher caps gives the department “headroom” to respond to budget pressures.
![Parliamentary committee approves order to raise UK immigration-application fee ceilings, including ETA]()
VisaHQ can help organisations and individual travellers stay ahead of these shifting fee landscapes by providing real-time updates, application assistance and cost calculators for every UK visa class. For a clear overview of current charges and personalised guidance on when to file before the next rise, visit https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
For mobility budgets the headline is clear: the cost of bringing visitors, skilled workers and family dependants to the UK is likely to rise again in Q3 2026. Employers sponsoring large cohorts should model higher per-head charges and communicate the pending ETA hike to frequent travelers who may wish to apply before the increase.
Opposition MPs questioned why some fee maxima jump by up to 25 per cent when inflation is running below 4 per cent; the minister said differential rises reflect processing-cost data and the need to cross-subsidise asylum spending.
Maximum fees for settlement, naturalisation and certain dependent-relative visas will all increase by roughly 1–3 per cent, tracking inflation and helping to fund the migration-and-borders portfolio. Minister Mike Tapp told MPs that actual fee changes will require separate secondary legislation but that advance approval of higher caps gives the department “headroom” to respond to budget pressures.
VisaHQ can help organisations and individual travellers stay ahead of these shifting fee landscapes by providing real-time updates, application assistance and cost calculators for every UK visa class. For a clear overview of current charges and personalised guidance on when to file before the next rise, visit https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
For mobility budgets the headline is clear: the cost of bringing visitors, skilled workers and family dependants to the UK is likely to rise again in Q3 2026. Employers sponsoring large cohorts should model higher per-head charges and communicate the pending ETA hike to frequent travelers who may wish to apply before the increase.
Opposition MPs questioned why some fee maxima jump by up to 25 per cent when inflation is running below 4 per cent; the minister said differential rises reflect processing-cost data and the need to cross-subsidise asylum spending.
