Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of fees charged for spousal visa applications; and if she will provide a breakdown of the £3,994.50 fee.

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of fees for family routes is published here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf.

The Home Office publishes the fees charged and the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on gov.uk. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

The Home Office also provides 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 grounds.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is set at £1,035 per person per year and is calculated based on the length of immigration permission granted. For a standard 30‑month spouse visa, applicants pay £2,587.50 for the IHS. This coupled with the spousal visa cost of £1407 means applicants pay £3994.50. The IHS rates are set using analysis from the Department of Health and Social Care on the average yearly cost to the NHS of treating those who pay the IHS. This analysis is regularly reviewed to make sure the rates reflect the actual cost of providing healthcare to migrants. The IHS is charged as a fixed amount, rather than based on individual use, which ensures the system is fair to everyone who pays.