Come April 1, 2025, the United Kingdom, Australia and the European Union will raise visa charges and tuition fees for international applicants. The increases affect a wide range of categories, from short-term visitor visas to work sponsorships and long-term university courses for Indians planning to visit abroad or to work and study.
UK visa fee changes from April
The UK government has revised its visa and immigration fee structure across most categories:
— A six-month standard visitor visa will now cost £127 (approximately Rs 14,000), up from £115 (approximately Rs 12,700). — Long-term visit visa fees are also rising: a two-year visa will cost £475 (previously £432), five-year visas will be £848 (up from £771), and ten-year visas will cost £1,059 (up from £963).
— The cost of a Student visa is going up from £490 to £524. The same rate applies to the Child Student visa.
— Short-term study visas for English language courses between six and eleven months will rise from £200 to £214.
Work-related categories are seeing some of the largest jumps:
— The Skilled Worker visa fee for stays up to three years will increase from £719 to £769.
— The fee for the Innovator Founder visa is increasing from £1,191 to £1,274.
Sponsorship costs for employers are also changing:
— A Certificate of Sponsorship will now cost £525, more than double the current £239.
— Sponsor licence fees for large companies will rise from £1,476 to £1,579, while small businesses and charities will pay £574 (up from £536).
A new £16 fee is being introduced for the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which applies to visa-exempt travellers from countries like the US and EU. The current charge is £10.
UK university fee changes
Domestic university tuition fees in England, frozen since 2017, will be allowed to rise with inflation, according to the UK government.
The current cap of £9,250 per year will increase gradually to £10,500 over five years. This is expected to affect students starting in the academic year 2025–26.
Australia raises tuition fees for international students
Several Australian universities are increasing their international tuition fees from 2025, with some courses jumping by over 7%, according to official announcements by the universities.
For instance:
— The University of Melbourne will charge AUD 56,480 (approximately Rs 30.36 lakh) per year for engineering and AUD 112,832 (approximately Rs 60.66 lakh) for clinical medicine. — At the University of New South Wales (UNSW), most courses will cost AUD 58,560 per year.
According to a statement by UNSW, “International students contribute a major portion of revenue and cost pressures have made adjustments necessary.”
European Union’s travel authorisation and entry system
From mid-2025, the EU will launch its European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a digital entry permit for visitors from visa-exempt countries.
— ETIAS will cost €7 and be valid for three years.
— It will apply to countries in the Schengen Area, including France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
The bloc will also start using an Entry/Exit System (EES), replacing manual passport stamps with automated biometric checks, including facial scans and fingerprints.
According to EU’s Home Affairs division, “The system will speed up border processing while recording detailed data on all entries and exits.”
Indians are not eligible for the entry permit and have to apply for a Schengen visa to visit countries under the European Union.
United States fees changed in 2024
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) changed its fee structure on April 1, 2024. Most employment-based petitions, including H-1B visas, saw increases last year, with Form I-129 now costing up to $780 depending on visa type and company size.