The Home Office has laid the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1108), made at 12.30 p.m. on 21 October 2025 and laid at 4.30 p.m. the same day. The instrument comes into force on 11 November 2025, extends across the United Kingdom, and is made under section 68 of the Immigration Act 2014 with Treasury consent, further to the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Order 2016.
For entry clearance, the Regulations create a specific fee exception for family members under Appendix Statelessness. No fee is payable for applications made under that appendix by a partner or a child of a stateless person seeking entry to, or leave to enter, the United Kingdom. This clarifies that qualifying family reunion under the statelessness route is charge‑free at the application stage.
For leave to remain, entry 9.8 in Schedule 2 is updated so that the fee exception applies where a partner or child applies under Appendix Statelessness, replacing older references to Part 14 of the Immigration Rules. In addition, entry 9.14.2 removes the sub‑paragraphs that previously followed “as-”, aligning the drafting with recent rule changes.
The instrument also amends provisions linked to the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy. In Schedule 1, the words “by relevant Afghan citizens and their dependants” are omitted from entry 4.6 and the list in 4.6.1 is removed. As the Explanatory Note sets out, these edits reflect changes already made to Appendix Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy, so that fee treatment follows the updated appendix rather than separate exceptions.
The Explanatory Note confirms that Schedule 1 now provides two new exceptions: one for certain applications under Appendix UK/European Applicant Transfer Scheme and one for specified applications under Appendix Statelessness. Taken together, the changes consolidate fee policy within the Immigration Rules appendices rather than scattered exemptions.
Sponsor‑related fees are re‑set in Schedule 4. The annual premium service packages for sponsors are removed by omitting entries 14.3.3 to 14.3.5. Expedited processing of a sponsorship management request is extended to student sponsors and the fee rises from £200 to £350, a 75% increase. The fee for priority processing of a sponsor licence application increases from £500 to £750, a 50% uplift.
For universities and colleges operating as student sponsors, access to expedited sponsorship management requests formalises a faster route for time‑sensitive administrative changes. Providers using the priority route should budget for the higher charges from 11 November 2025 and consider when expedited handling is operationally necessary.
Nationality fees are adjusted by inserting a new exception after Table 20 in Schedule 8. Where the original application for a certificate of registration or naturalisation, or for a certificate of entitlement, was exempt, waived or otherwise not payable, no fee is payable for a review of that application. This prevents a review from attracting a charge when the underlying case was fee‑free.
Treasury consent is recorded by the Lords Commissioners Christian Wakeford and Stephen Morgan at 12.30 p.m. on 21 October 2025. The instrument is signed for the Home Office by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Mike Tapp at 12.10 p.m. the same day. The Explanatory Note states that no full impact assessment has been produced as no significant effect on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
From 11 November 2025, applications and sponsor actions will be charged or exempt under these revised rules. Sponsors should update internal fee schedules and approvals for priority services; prospective applicants under Appendix Statelessness should confirm eligibility for the partner and child fee waivers before submission to ensure the exception applies.