Fee Waiver Application
A UK fee waiver application is a request to the Home Office to remove the requirement to pay the application fee (and sometimes the Immigration Health Surcharge) when applying for certain immigration applications. It is intended for people who cannot afford the fee due to financial hardship or risk of destitution.
Eligibility
You may be eligible if:
• You are applying for leave to remain based on:
➤ Family life (partner, parent, child routes)
➤ Private life in the UK
➤ Other human rights claim under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
• You are on the 10-year route to settlement and applying for further leave to remain.
• You are a child applicant or the parent of a British/settled child.
You cannot usually apply for a fee waiver if:
• You are applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) (settlement)
• You are applying for British citizenship
• You are applying for most work or study visas
Grounds for a waiver:
• You are destitute (no adequate accommodation or means of meeting basic living needs).
• Paying the fee would leave you unable to meet your essential living needs (food, housing, utilities, childcare).
• You already rely on public support/benefits.
Process
Step 1: Apply Online
• You must first submit a fee waiver application online (separate from your immigration application).
• The form will ask about your income, expenses, accommodation, dependents, and financial hardship.
Step 2: Evidence
Step 2: Evidence
Step 3: Wait for a Decision
• If approved, you will receive a unique code to use in your main immigration application so you do not have to pay the fee.
• If refused, you must pay the full fee to proceed.
Step 4: Submit Your Immigration Application
• Once you have the fee waiver decision (approval code), you complete your leave to remain or human rights application.
Processing time: Usually 4–8 weeks.