Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure spousal visa applications remain affordable in the context of the additional costs of the immigration healthcare surcharge.

The Home Office has always provided for exceptions to the need to pay application fees in a number of specific circumstances. These include affordability-based waivers for entry clearance and leave to remain on family and human rights routes. In such cases, where an application is made on a family or human rights route and supported by clear and compelling evidence of unaffordability, either the Immigration Health Surcharge or both the visa fee and Surcharge may be waived. A fee waiver application must be submitted in-time and prior to the immigration application. Information on eligibility for Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/visa-fee-waiver-in-uk