The Government keeps the immigration system under review.

The Government keeps the immigration system under review.

Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient and are subject to rigorous testing and monitoring. Outages are rare, and where issues do arise, we work to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Support is available for people who are unable to access or use their online immigration status because of a technical issue. The UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre can assist people in these circumstances and, where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. If someone needs to demonstrate their immigration status for travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7.

Employers and landlords in England can also use the Employer Checking Service and Landlord Checking Service respectively. Other Government Departments that are unable to confirm an individual’s immigration status can seek clarification through the Home Office Status Verification Enquiry and Checking Service.

The Government’s bespoke Ukraine Schemes for those fleeing the conflict are available to eligible Ukrainian nationals and their family members. Applications under these schemes are free of charge, are exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge and, if granted, provide access to work, public services, healthcare and education, reflecting the UK’s generous commitment to support provided to those displaced by the conflict.

While applications made under the Ukraine Schemes are not subject to an application fee or the Immigration Health Surcharge, a Ukrainian national who has obtained settled status in the UK and subsequently wishes to sponsor a family member under the UK's wider family immigration routes would be required to apply under the general family visa provisions and pay the relevant fees or obtain a fee waiver.

The current fee for a family visa application, which allow partners, parents and dependent children of British and settled sponsors to apply to come or to stay in the UK, is £2,064 and is set at the same level for all applicants. 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.

The government’s proposals for settlement reform were set out in the Command Paper ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ (CP1448) and were the subject of a public consultation between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We received over 200,000 responses from the public and organisations and are now considering all responses received.  This will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  This will also include both economic and equality impact assessments.

The government’s proposals for settlement reform were set out in the Command Paper ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ (CP1448) and were the subject of a public consultation between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We received over 200,000 responses from the public and organisations and are now considering all responses received.  This will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  This will also include both economic and equality impact assessments.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, including service standards for processing visa applications where applicable.

Service standards for out-of-country family visas are published here: Family: customer service standards - GOV.UK. Currently, the service standard for out- of-country family visa applications is 12 weeks.

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 student routes is published here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf

However, no assessment has been made of the potential impact of student visa fees on levels of non-compliance with student visa requirements.

The information requested is not available from published statistics and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Our Immigration White Paper, published last year, set out how we are reducing reliance on international workers and encouraging investment in the domestic workforce. In July 2025, we raised the Skilled Worker threshold to graduate-level occupations, meaning more than 100 occupations are no longer eligible, including restaurant managers and chefs.

The Student visa route is designed to enable genuine international students to study at eligible UK education providers while maintaining the integrity of the immigration system.

When developing student immigration policy, the Home Office considers matters relevant to the effective operation and integrity of the immigration system, alongside the Government’s wider migration objectives.

Licensed Student sponsors must act with integrity as education providers and assess whether prospective students meet the requirements of the route and are likely to comply with the conditions of their permission, including complying with the law. Higher education providers are responsible for meeting their sponsor duties and managing their campuses and student communities. The Government is clear that antisemitism has no place in our society.

Published unit costs for processing visa applications can be viewed on Gov.UK through the following link: Visa fees transparency data - GOV.UK. The estimated unit cost of a spousal visa is currently £426, the fee for a spouse visa application is £1407.

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. The Home Office does not make a profit from fees and any income from fees set above the cost of processing is utilised for the purpose of running the Migration and Borders system, reducing reliance of taxpayer funding.

For a spouse visa, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is separate from the visa application fee, but both are paid as part of the application process.

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.

The Home Office does not hold centrally collated data on the number of occasions Border Force has exercised powers to stop, board and inspect vehicles, public transport, buses and boats for immigration purposes in each of the last five calendar years.

Border Force officers have powers under immigration legislation to stop, board, examine and search vehicles and vessels for immigration purposes. These powers are exercised routinely as part of day-to-day border operations and are not routinely recorded or centrally collated in a way that would enable the Department to provide the figures requested.

While Border Force maintains operational records relating to passengers and immigration checks, it does not hold data on the number of vehicles or vessels examinations undertaken.

Border Force officers have a range of powers to stop, board, examine and search vehicles and vessels for immigration purposes.

Under Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971, immigration officers may board ships and aircraft in connection with the exercise of their immigration functions. They may also search vehicles or containers that have been brought to, or are to be brought to, the United Kingdom by ship, aircraft or train for the purpose of establishing whether there are persons whom they may wish to examine under the Act. These examination powers apply in respect of passengers travelling by private vehicle, public transport, coach, bus, rail, air and maritime services.

In the maritime environment, the Immigration Act 2016 included Part 3A and Schedule 4A, expanding the Immigration Act 1971 to include provide powers, in specified circumstances and where relevant immigration offences are suspected, to stop, board, divert and detain vessels for the purpose of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting such offences.

The exercise of all Border Force powers is subject to the relevant statutory framework and operational guidance.

The Government expects individuals to make any application to extend their stay or settle in the UK before their existing permission expires. Decisions on immigration applications are made in accordance with the Immigration Rules.

The Immigration Rules contain provisions under which periods of overstaying may be disregarded in certain circumstances. Where relevant, decision-makers will consider all available evidence provided by an applicant, including information relating to serious health issues or other compelling circumstances. Applicants seeking settlement on the UK Ancestry route must continue to meet all applicable requirements of the Immigration Rules.

Border Force operates a flexible resourcing model, regularly assessing operational needs and deploying staff dynamically in response to passenger volumes and security requirements. Maintaining the security and efficiency of the UK border remains a top priority, and we continue to allocate resources accordingly to ensure the smooth flow of passengers and goods.

For security reasons, Border Force do not give out figures of how many operational staff are working at a given time or on a specific operational deployment, nor does Border Force publish information on operational activities. Doing so would publicise operational practices which could be used to assist in the evasion of customs controls and compromise Border security.

Keeping our borders secure remains our top priority. We have robust plans in place to minimise any delays, and will deploy suitable resource to meet critical demand and support the flow of passengers and goods through our border.

There are no current plans to introduce a dedicated online status tracking portal for citizenship certificate applications which would allow applicants or their appointed representative to view live case updates.

There are currently no plans to copy applicants into all major citizenship decisions and/or certificate dispatch notifications where a legal representative has been appointed.

The Home Office routinely publishes extensive data on the immigration system through the quarterly Immigration System Statistics and the Monthly entry clearance visa applications statistical publications. These are Official Statistics produced by government statisticians, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics and overseen by the UK Statistics Authority.

The Home Office has previously published Reports on statistics relating to exit checks. Publication was paused following significant changes to the immigration system (such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK’s departure from the EU and changes to Home Office systems) which affected the quality of the data. The Home Office is now in the final stages of data improvement work and, as per the Home Secretary’s comments at the Justice and Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday 7 July 2026, intend to resume the publication in Autumn 2026.

The Home Office continues to develop the evidence base on migrant outcomes using linked administrative data from across Government. This includes published analysis of Sponsored Work and Family visa earnings, employment and Income Tax. More broadly, further analytical work is underway to support the development of Earned Settlement policy following the recent public consultation, with further evidence and a full Impact Assessment to be published in due course.

The Home Office routinely publishes extensive data on the immigration system through the quarterly Immigration System Statistics and the Monthly entry clearance visa applications statistical publications. These are Official Statistics produced by government statisticians, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics and overseen by the UK Statistics Authority.

The Home Office has previously published Reports on statistics relating to exit checks. Publication was paused following significant changes to the immigration system (such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK’s departure from the EU and changes to Home Office systems) which affected the quality of the data. The Home Office is now in the final stages of data improvement work and, as per the Home Secretary’s comments at the Justice and Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday 7 July 2026, intend to resume the publication in Autumn 2026.

The Home Office continues to develop the evidence base on migrant outcomes using linked administrative data from across Government. This includes published analysis of Sponsored Work and Family visa earnings, employment and Income Tax. More broadly, further analytical work is underway to support the development of Earned Settlement policy following the recent public consultation, with further evidence and a full Impact Assessment to be published in due course.

The Home Office keeps the immigration rules under review.