fee
Dispute resolution solicitors in London

How to Apply for a UK Visa Application Fee Refund

The top lawyers may be found at Immigration solicitors in London, who are renowned for providing the highest quality legal services in the city.

Most applications for nationality and immigration completed inside or outside of the UK are subject to payment of an amount. If you’ve paid an amount, you might decide later to request a refund. This article outlines the conditions under which you could be eligible for reimbursement of the UK Visa application fees. If you are, the procedure, you can request a refund of your UK visa fee.

This article does not address refunds for charges such as the Immigration Health Surcharge or Immigration Skills Charge, although they will be the topic of a future blog.

Can My UK Visa Application Fee Be Refunded?

The Home Office has the general power to reimburse all UK visas or applications for immigration fees. The 13D paragraph of Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 (as modified) states this, “The Secretary of State may refund any fee, or any part of a fee, paid under these Regulations.” In certain situations, the Home Office may even have the legal right to make a refund.

But, if you’ve submitted an official UK Visa or Immigration request, which the Home Office has considered and later either denied or granted in general, the policy is that they will not reimburse the fee you paid for your application.

What is the best time to be eligible to receive a reimbursement of the UK visa application cost?

When the Home Office Must Refund a UK Visa Application Fee

There are many scenarios in which you need to be able to claim a refund of the UK visa application cost:

  • Your application was fee-free. Certain ways to apply for immigration are exempted from fees. Examples include asylum applications or applications made on the basis of Article 3 ECHR (prohibition against torture or inhumane or degrading treatment), leave to stay within the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession, and applications submitted by children under local authority care. If a fee has been paid for an application, then it is the responsibility of the Home Office must legally reimburse the amount.
  • Your application was rejected. There are specific requirements that vary based on the kind of application that determine if your application will be accepted. If the application is deemed invalid and therefore cannot be considered. If this happens, the fee will be reimbursed less the PS25 administration fee (unless you are sure that you were rejected because you didn’t pay the fee in the first).
  • The application you submitted was not appropriate or unenforceable. The application is null and void if submitted before or during the time that it is processed, it ceases to be valid, and the fee has to be paid in total. It is usually the case in the following scenarios:
  • You’ve applied for temporary permission to remain. However, it is your current (or in the course of processing, you receive) Settlement in the UK;
  • You’ve submitted an application for entry clearance but aren’t required to have entry clearance (for instance, if you are a member of the national forces or diplomat);
  • The applicant has passed away, and you’ve notified the Home Office before making a decision
  • It was a mistake to charge you and then pay the wrong amount.
  • A tribunal or court order to the Home Office to refund the amount.

What if I Withdraw or Vary My Visa or Immigration Application?

If you choose to withdraw the application, you could receive an application fee refund; however, it is contingent on the time you withdraw your application. You can claim refunds if you have withdrawn your application prior to the applicable date.

If you make a second immigration application that has the effect of changing your original application, the cost for the first application will be reimbursed.

Refunds for Premium Services: Priority Visa and Super Priority Visa

As per the Home Office’s guidelines the Home Office’s guidance, a reimbursement of charges for Priority or Super Priority service can be requested “where the applicant has taken necessary steps to complete their application, but the application has not been considered within the published timescales.”

If your application isn’t dealt with in the timeframe promised and you are not satisfied, whether you have a right to a refund will likely be contingent on the difficulty of the application.

Refunds for Premium Services: Sponsor Licence Premium Service

If you paid to expedite the processing of an application for an employer Sponsor License the payment will be refunded. If:

You have decided to withdraw your application prior to submitting your obligatory documents

If you do not provide all the documents, you are required to submit within the stipulated timeframe

It is the Home Office is unable to complete your application within the premium service timeline because your application is considered complicated

The Home Office is unable to finish applications within the timescale of premium service because of an error made by the Home Office

The Sponsor Licence application is invalid.

You won’t be able to get a refund in the following situations:

You have decided to withdraw your application following the submission of your required documents

The Home Office cannot complete your application within the timeframe of premium service because it requires additional information that you do not have in the timeframe required.

Your Sponsor Licence application has been rejected

British Citizenship Ceremonies

If your request for British citizenship is rejected and you’ve already made an application. An official citizenship ceremony. The cost for this ceremony is reimbursed. The refund can also be granted if there is a reason to believe that the Home Office. They disapplies the requirement to take the citizenship oath and pledge during the ceremony to become a citizen due to the particular circumstances of the situation.

If you cancel a citizenship application but already have paid the ceremony cost. The fee is refunded as the ceremony hasn’t yet been planned.

How Do I Contact the Home Office for a Fee Refund?

If you’ve completed your application but haven’t yet uploaded any biometrics or uploaded. Your application documents, you must remove your application to receive the refund. It can be done by following these steps:

  • If you were required to attend a biometrics consultation and could not attend. Make use of this form to cancel your application. If you were applying outside of the UK and used Access UK. You must log onto your account and click ‘Section 6: Further steps to end your application.
  • If you’ve been asked to use the app on your smartphone to confirm that you are who you say you are and then upload your documents. You must sign in to your account by clicking the link provided in the email you received to sign up. After that, choose the option to ‘Withdraw your application. You will receive a refund even if you haven’t uploaded the documents.

How Long Does It Take the Home Office to Refund a Visa Application Fee?

It is important to note that the Home Office does not publish details of the time. It will take to approve the refund of fees for immigration applications. If you’ve requested an application fee refund but haven’t received a response. Then you might want to get in touch with UKVI to request an update. You could want to contact any of the barristers at UKVI to determine whether you’re due an amount of money back.

Can I Get a Refund for Costs Other Than My Application Fee?

When you apply for citizenship or immigration, there are various costs in addition to the fee for the application.

If you’ve paid an Immigration Health Surcharge or Immigration Skills Charge. Some distinct regulations and procedures govern if you can get a refund. It will be discussed in an additional article.