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Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2007

rose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 21 November be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the order we are debating here today will pave the way for the Government’s new points based-system for managing the migration of those coming to the United Kingdom to work, train and study. The order sets out the new applications, processes and services for which we will charge a fee under the points-based system, such as licences for sponsors, and certificates of sponsorship issued by sponsors to those migrants whose applications they wish to support. We will return to the House early next year to make further regulations specifying the actual fee levels for these services, relying on the powers in Section 51 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, along with the power in Section 42 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004, as amended by Section 20 of the UK Borders Act 2007. In addition, this order will refine and consolidate the Government’s powers to set fees for immigration and nationality applications in the future. Currently, the fee levels for applications made overseas are set through an Order in Council using the powers in the Consular Fees Act 1980, while fees for applications made in the UK are set in regulations before Parliament. Going forward, following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the merger of UKvisas with the Border and Immigration Agency next year, all fees will be set through the same process, offering Parliament the opportunity to consider our proposals in the round. This will provide noble Lords with an opportunity to debate the actual fee levels that the Government are proposing for the services, applications and processes set out in this order. I beg to move Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 21 November be approved. 3rd Report from the Statutory Instruments Committee, 4th Report from the Merits Committee—(Lord Bassam of Brighton.)