Starting April 1, 2025, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union will implement significant hikes in visa and tuition fees, affecting international applicants across various categories, including short-term visits, work sponsorships, and university education. These changes will particularly impact Indian students, workers, and travelers.
Visa fee hikes in the UK
The UK government has updated its immigration and visa fee system, with rises in the majority of categories:
- Visitor visas:
- A six-month standard visitor visa will rise from £115 (approx. Rs 12,700) to £127 (approx. Rs 14,000).
- Long-term visit visa fees will also increase:
- Two-year visas will go from £432 to £475,
- Five-year visas from £771 to £848,
- Ten-year visas from £963 to £1,059.
- Student and study visas:
- The Student visa fee will increase from £490 to £524. This change also applies to the Child Student visa.
- Short-term study visas for English language courses (6-11 months) will rise from £200 to £214.
- Work visas:
- The Skilled Worker visa fee for stays up to three years will increase from £719 to £769.
- The Innovator Founder visa will rise from £1,191 to £1,274.
- Employer sponsorship fees:
- A Certificate of Sponsorship will be £525, up sharply from the existing £239.
- Large business sponsorship licence fees will rise to £1,579 from £1,476, with small companies and charities to pay £574, up from £536.
- New ETA fee:
- A £16 fee will be introduced for the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which applies to visa-exempt travellers from countries like the US and EU. The current fee is £10.
Changes in UK university tuition fees
Tuition fees for domestic students in England, which have been frozen since 2017, will rise in line with inflation. The current cap of £9,250 per year will gradually increase to £10,500 over five years, starting with the academic year 2025–26.
Australia’s tuition fee increases for international students
Several Australian universities will raise their international tuition fees from 2025, with some courses seeing increases of over 7%. Examples include:
- University of Melbourne:
- AUD 56,480 (approx. Rs 30.36 lakh) per year for engineering courses.
- AUD 112,832 (approx. Rs 60.66 lakh) per year for clinical medicine.
- University of New South Wales (UNSW):
- Most courses will cost AUD 58,560 per year.
A release by UNSW clarified that overseas students are an important source of revenue for the institution, and the increases in fees are essential as a result of cost pressures.
European Union’s new travel permission regime
From mid-2025, the European Union will introduce the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a digital visa-free entry permit for tourist visitors from visa-free countries. Important details are as follows:
- The ETIAS will cost €7 and be valid for three years.
- It will apply to Schengen Area countries, including France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
In addition, the EU will automate manual passport stamping with a new Entry/Exit System (EES) that will employ biometric screening, including facial scans and fingerprints, to enhance border processing speed. Although the ETIAS will not be applicable to Indian passport holders, they will still require a Schengen visa application to travel to EU nations.