The Home Office offers a fee waiver for certain immigration applications where the applicant cannot afford to pay the relevant fee. Fee waivers are available for some family and human rights applications made from inside the UK, including applications made on the basis of private or family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and applications involving children whose leave needs to be regularised. Not all application types are eligible, and the waiver covers the Home Office application fee but not the Immigration Health Surcharge, which may be waived separately in limited circumstances.
To obtain a fee waiver, you must demonstrate that you cannot afford to pay the fee and that paying it would cause genuine financial hardship. The Home Office assesses income, outgoings, savings, and support from others in your household. Applications require detailed and honest disclosure of your financial position supported by evidence. Incomplete or unclear applications are routinely refused, making thorough preparation important.
NARA Solicitors advises clients on whether they are likely to meet the fee waiver criteria, helps them gather and present their financial evidence clearly, and prepares the fee waiver application before the substantive immigration application is submitted. If a fee waiver application has been refused and you believe the decision was wrong, we can also advise on whether there are grounds to challenge it.
