Nearly 250,000 people acquired British citizenship in the 12 months ended in June, the highest level since 2010, despite the cost of obtaining citizenship and permanent residence exceeding 5,000 pounds sterling per person, according to data reported by Bloomberg.
Cost exceeds 5,000 pounds sterling
The process begins with obtaining a permanent residence permit, known as indefinite leave to remain, for 1839 pounds sterling, followed by naturalization, bringing the total cost to about 5065 pounds sterling. This figure excludes visa fees, healthcare charges and other administrative costs.
British fees exceed those in a number of European countries, where naturalization fees amount to no more than a few hundred euros. Zilon Lin, a 25-year-old data analyst who holds Portuguese citizenship after being born in China, said he was surprised by the size of the sum required. He said his decision was driven by his growing sense of belonging to the United Kingdom after years of studying and living there, rather than by financial benefits.
Legislation gradually raised immigration fees
The roots of the high fees date back to 2004, when Tony Blair's Labour government allowed the Home Office to charge fees exceeding the actual cost of processing immigration and naturalization applications. The government expanded those powers in 2007 to cover the costs of other immigration-related services.
In 2014, the Conservative-led coalition government allowed the proceeds to be used to fund activities including border security and efforts to combat drug smuggling, contributing to a gradual rise in fees as legislation was amended.
Catherine Barnard, a professor of European law at the University of Cambridge, said Britain had become an outlier among developed countries, as its immigration fees not only cover application processing but also help fund the entire immigration system.
Families' bills can reach tens of thousands
Barnard said the actual cost of immigrating to and settling in Britain could rise to tens of thousands of pounds sterling when visa fees for family members, healthcare charges and other obligations imposed on employers are taken into account.
One applicant who sought citizenship for her parents, who arrived from Sri Lanka more than 20 years ago, said she paid more than 6,000 pounds sterling to complete the process. Her expenses temporarily rose to about 14,000 pounds because of an administrative error that required the application to be resubmitted, before the previous fees were refunded.
Demand holds up despite higher fees
Researchers said high fees had not materially diminished Britain's appeal to migrants so far, with the English language, employment and education opportunities, and family ties continuing to attract applicants.
The Labour government is seeking to extend the period of residence required before permanent residence can be obtained, while other parties are calling for additional restrictions on benefits granted to noncitizens, as political debate over migrant numbers intensifies.
Ben Brindle, a researcher at the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory, said demand for visas had proved resilient despite repeated fee increases. He noted, however, that costs could eventually reach a level that deters applicants, although it is not yet known where that threshold lies. Barnard warned that European governments could follow the British model and raise immigration and citizenship fees in the future.
