Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had recent discussions with Hospitality UK on the potential impact of the immigration fees introduced in October 2023 on the recruitment of (a) chefs, (b) hotel staff and (c) other staff in the hospitality sector.

There is little evidence that fee increases to date have significantly affected demand on work routes.

The Home Office keeps fees under review and publish impact assessments when we make fee changes in legislation, which evaluate potential behavioural impacts on prospective applicants. A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been published and analyses the potential impact on migration, broken down by visa product and delineated on applications made in and out of country: The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 - Impact Assessment (legislation.gov.uk).