Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on collecting fees for visa applications in advance of the application being processed.

The Home Department policy is that a fee must be paid prior to the application receiving immigration consideration. An application will only go forward for immigration consideration if it is valid.

For an immigration application to be valid a number of requirements must be met. These include the payment of the application fee, unless the applicant satisfies the criteria for a fee exemption. Where an application is invalid and cannot be processed the application fee is returned to the applicant.