Amidst all that’s going on, there’s some good news for families struggling in the face of exorbitant Home Office fees for a first spouse visa application, with signs that those who would be made destitute by paying the fees could now find it easier to apply for a fee waiver.
People thinking of applying will know that an application for a first spouse visa can (under normal circumstances) only be made from outside the UK. An application of this kind costs £1523 in Home Office visa fees alone, plus £1000 for the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Each application costs the Home Office just £388 to process, meaning they are making a profit of £1135 on each application, or nearly 300%. This fee is excessive, and is a barrier to many families being able to apply for a visa and start or continue their lives together.
People applying for some kinds of visa – for example a second spouse visa (FLR(M)) – were able to navigate this by applying for something called a fe…