Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received on the increases in the per person visa fees for Commonwealth UK Armed Forces personnel applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

All immigration and nationality fees are set within strict financial limits agreed with HM Treasury and Parliament, and are also aligned with clear principles that balance a number of complex factors, including the benefits likely to be accrued.

Officials from the Home Office liaise regularly with counterparts in MOD and the Armed Forces Families Federations on various issues regarding armed forces migration, including immigration fees for foreign and Commonwealth former service personnel. We are aware of the current campaign by Royal British Legion to waive settlement fees for Commonwealth national personnel, and I have responded to their letter on this issue.

The Home Office reviews fees on a yearly basis and income from fees charged for immigration and nationality applications plays a vital role in our ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system, and minimize the burden on the taxpayer. Application fees in general have increased in recent years to support this aim.