Tier 1 Application Info

Cost

If you are inside the United Kingdom

The fee you must pay

There are two different fees for the highly skilled worker category:

• £350 if you submit a valid HSMP approval letter with your application for initial entry (switching) into Tier 1 General (this is because you have already paid for the approval letter); and


• £750 for all other applicants (including applications for extension within the highly skilled worker category if you are currently in the United Kingdom under HSMP).

Dependant applications for your spouse, partner or children under 18 which are sent together with your own form are free of charge. Dependant applications for children over 18, or any dependant applications sent separately or later, will have to pay an extra fee of £395.

You must send in your fee or we will not consider your application.

How to fill in the payment slip

It is very important that you complete the payment slip correctly. Errors prevent the payment being processed and will delay the decision-making process.

Fill in the details of the person who is making the payment in case we have a payment question. If we cannot deal with the payment, the application and payment are returned to the contact name and address given in section 1.

Your fee if you withdraw your application

Once your application is received by the payment handling service, the fee is charged and cannot be refunded.

How to pay inside the United Kingdom

What payment types we accept

The payment slip must be filled in fully and accurately.

Payment may be made by:

• a cheque in sterling on a United Kingdom bank account (this should be made payable to Home Office, have your full name and date of birth written on the back and be attached to the front of the completed payment slip);


• United Kingdom postal order (this should have your full name and date of birth written on the back and be attached to the front of the completed payment slip); or


• credit or debit card including MasterCard and Visa. We will only accept Delta, Switch and Maestro (including Electron and Solo) if issued in the United Kingdom. Include the card number, the amount paid, the payer’s name as it appears on the card, valid from and expiry dates, card verification value (CVV) code, signature and date. The issue number is also needed for Switch and Maestro cards.

Payment by any other method is not accepted.

You must send the full amount to cover the total cost of the application, or we will not consider your application and will return both the application form and part payment to you.

We start considering the application when the payment has cleared. Clearance takes place:

• after five working days for cheques;


• after one working day for credit or debit cards; and


• immediately for postal orders.

Using a payment handling service

You can use a government-approved payment handling service to help with your application. It will check that:

• a payment is needed;


• the payment slip is completed correctly;


• the payment method is correct;


• the application has been marked correctly as paid or free from charge; and


• the payment has cleared.

The payment handling service is independent from us and does not process any applications.

Waiting times

During the week commencing 22 December 2008, we expect to be considering applications that were received on or before 10 December 2008.

Please be aware that the customer contact centre is currently experiencing very high call demand and therefore you may experience difficulties in contacting us.

Please may we apologise for this and for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Sending your application

Where to send the form if you are applying from inside the United Kingdom

Before sending us your form, you should make sure you fill in all sections that apply to your application.

Attach your cheque or postal order for the fee to page 1 of the application form, and send them with your supporting documents and passport(s). You can send in more documents as long as they reach us before a decision has been made.

Your application must arrive during normal business hours (0830 to 1630, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays), or receipt cannot be guaranteed.

You should send your form to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ

If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1
Millburngate House
Durham
DH97 1PA

If you are sending applications for your dependants at the same time as your own application, make sure all applications are sent together in one envelope so any eligible dependant applications are considered free of charge. Dependant applications sent separately or later will have to pay a fee and we will not consider them unless you pay the right fee.

If you are a dependant applying separately (not at the same time as the main applicant), you should send your form to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1 (Dependants)
PO Box 496
Millburngate House
Durham
DH99 1WQ

If you would like to send your application by courier, you should send it to:

UK Border Agency
Tier 1 (Dependants)
Millburngate House
Durham
DH97 1PA