What is a fee waiver?

A fee waiver is a Home Office decision that lets some people who apply for permission to stay in the UK avoid paying the visa application fee because they cannot afford it. It is available only in set situations, mainly family, private life and human rights based applications. You must get the decision before you make the visa application.

How a fee waiver works

A fee waiver means that, if you are eligible, you do not have to pay the visa application fee. You can apply for one if you are applying for permission to stay in the UK.^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK}

The order of steps matters. Before you apply to extend your visa, you must get a decision on your fee waiver.^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK} If it is approved, your decision email or letter contains a personalised fee waiver code, called a token. You use that code on the visa application.^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK}

The code has time limits. You must use it to apply for your visa within 10 working days of getting the decision. You must also attend a biometrics appointment within 17 working days of being asked to book it. Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays. If you miss either time limit your code expires and you must make a new fee waiver application.^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK} See biometrics appointment.

Who can apply

GOV.UK lists some groups who may be eligible, including someone who is:^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK}

• a partner, parent or dependent child of a person who has a family visa or has permission to stay on the basis of their private life
• a person with permission to stay because they are a victim of modern slavery or human trafficking

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot afford to pay the fee because you:^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK}

• do not have a place to live in the UK and cannot afford one
• have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs such as food or heating
• have a very low income and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

You can include your partner and children in your fee waiver application if they are applying to join or stay with you as your dependants.^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK}

The caseworker guidance covers specified human rights applications, including the 5-year and 10-year partner, parent and private life routes. A fee waiver is granted on the basis of the person’s human rights, and only where the underlying human rights claim is a substantive basis of the application, not one that is mentioned in passing.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Fee waiver: Human Rights-based and other specified applications} See private life route and Appendix FM.

The surcharge and the evidence

The caseworker guidance says that when the Home Office assesses a fee waiver request it looks at the whole amount payable, which is the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. If you can pay the whole immigration fee but none or only part of the surcharge, the fee is required and the waiver is applied to the surcharge. If you cannot pay either, both are waived. It is not possible for part of the immigration fee to be waived and part paid for one person.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Fee waiver: Human Rights-based and other specified applications}

The Home Office must grant a waiver where the applicant has credibly demonstrated that they cannot afford the fee. The guidance says the onus is on the applicant to show they qualify.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Fee waiver: Human Rights-based and other specified applications}

You must give identity evidence, such as a passport, national identity card or a biometric residence permit that has been expired for no more than 18 months. You must also give information about your finances, for example bank statements, letters showing financial support, evidence of public funds, household earnings and household expenses.^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK}

The guidance says evidence should normally be bank statements for all accounts held, with major payments over £250 and regular payments explained, and it should cover the 6 months before the request. Where a third party supports you, you must show that the third party cannot reasonably fund the fee.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Fee waiver: Human Rights-based and other specified applications}

Example

Grace holds permission as a partner and needs to extend. The in-UK family visa fee is £1,407 for her and she must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.^{[3]Home Office, Family visas: apply, extend or switch} She cannot afford essential living costs.

She applies for a fee waiver first, with her passport, 6 months of bank statements for every account, and her rent and bills. After the decision, she uses the code within 10 working days, and books her biometrics appointment so that she attends within 17 working days of being asked. If she can pay the fee but not the surcharge, the waiver would apply to the surcharge.

What people get wrong

Many people try to make the visa application first and ask for a waiver afterwards. GOV.UK says you must get a decision on your fee waiver before you apply to extend your visa.

The second mistake is missing the code deadline. The code expires if you do not apply within 10 working days, or attend biometrics within 17 working days, and a new fee waiver application is then needed.^{[1]UK Visas and Immigration, Get a visa application fee waiver from inside the UK} A third is thinking a waiver is an immigration decision. The guidance says a fee waiver request is not an immigration decision and its outcome should not be taken as an indicator of the result of the later application.^{[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Fee waiver: Human Rights-based and other specified applications}

The bottom line

A fee waiver lets eligible people applying to stay in the UK avoid the application fee, and in some cases the Immigration Health Surcharge, if they cannot afford it. You get a decision first, then use the code within 10 working days and attend biometrics within 17 working days. You must evidence your finances. See the fees page for current costs, and check GOV.UK before you apply.