The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Hanson of Flint) (Lab)

My Lords, this fee order sets out the immigration and nationality functions for which a fee is to be charged, and the maxima amounts that can be charged in relation to each of those functions. In the order, we propose a number of changes that will facilitate government policy. Fees charged by the Home Office for immigration and nationality applications are an essential part of the department’s funding settlement. This order will increase fee maxima across a number of chargeable functions, including those for the new electronic travel authorisation—ETA—and entry clearance as a visitor for visas valid for a period of more than 12 months. It will also include a visa on a route to settlement, a settlement visa, naturalisation and registration as a British citizen or as one of the specified other categories of citizenship, and certain nationality-related services. I should explain that the actual fee levels that are to be charged for those seeking to enter or remain in the UK are not being changed in this order. Any changes to the fee levels will be made through separate legislation and will be accompanied by a full economic impact assessment. In laying this order we have sought to provide clarity to Parliament, and indeed to the public, about our intention to increase certain fees when parliamentary time allows. These are as follows. We will increase the fee maxima applying to an application for an ETA from £16 to £20 in order to facilitate a subsequent increase in the chargeable fee to £20. This will be by negative resolution in the event of those fees being brought forward. The fee maxima for entry clearance as a visitor for a period of more than 12 months will increase from £250 per year to £253 per annum. This will allow the Home Office to increase the fee for a two-year visitor visa from £475 to £506. We are increasing the fee maximum for visas on a route to settlement from £3,600 to £3,635. This is to facilitate a subsequent increase to the fee applications by other adult dependent relatives of a British citizen, or a person with settled status who wishes to join their family in the UK. That will rise from £3,413 to £3,635. In this order, we are amending the fee maximum for settlement applications from £3,600 to £3,635 in order to align with the changes to the fee maximum for visas on a route to settlement, reflecting, I hope, the connection between these two chargeable functions. The fee maxima for naturalisation as a British citizen or as a British Overseas Territories citizen and registration as a British citizen or other nationality status will increase from £1,605 to £1,709 and from £1,500 to £1,540, respectively—all subject to parliamentary approval. This will allow us to increase the fees for naturalisation and registration as a British citizen by adult applicants to the new maxima levels. We are also increasing the fee maxima for nationality-related services by 6.5% to support a subsequent increase in relevant fees to the new maxima level. This will include the fee for a certificate of entitlement of right of abode, which will increase from £589 to £627. To be clear, we have announced our intention to increase the fee levels later this year, but they will not be increased until we lay separate legislation—the immigration and nationality fees regulation—which will be subject to approval by both Houses of Parliament. These changes will facilitate the generation of additional income for the migration and borders system, which will in turn support the broader funding of the system, reduce reliance on the general taxpayer and support the delivery of government priorities. With that explanation, I beg to move.