The application fee for a visa or visa extension is paid to the Home Office and is not related to the service provided by Sopra Steria.<\/p>
As part of the application process in the UK individuals must enrol their biometrics at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service centre which are run by Sopra Steria.<\/p>
For the majority of applicants in the UK there are a variety of offerings for students and other employees at UK education institutions which include free appointments at core service points, access to enhanced service points and the premium lounge for a fee. Additionally, to help meet demand for the autumn increase in student applications a \u201cTier 4 Service Point\u201d will also be offered by Sopra Steria for a fee. This cost of this is lower than the costs of an out of hours, enhanced service point or premium lounge appointments under the normal UKVCAS service and will save students the financial and logistical burden of travel.<\/p>
As part of our governance processes, we work closely with SSL to ensure that excessive charges are not imposed on UKVI customers. Whilst SSL may offer added value services to customers, these are optional and aim to enhance the customer experience.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-15T12:31:44.727Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Entry Clearances: Applications"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2019 to Question 263146 on Visas: Applications, if he will ensure that the processing of in-country visa services by Sopra Steria will not result in increased prices for visa services for (a) international students and staff at UK universities and (b) universities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4058", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Blomfield"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Blomfield"} ], "uin" : "275742"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1137230", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1137230/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Tackling climate change is a shared endeavour between all Government departments. BEIS Ministers and officials regularly engage with their counterparts across government on clean growth matters including delivery of the Clean Growth Strategy and progress against our carbon budgets.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4021", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Skidmore"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingswood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Skidmore"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "911847"} , {"_value" : "911856"} , {"_value" : "911859"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-10T11:23:58.523Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Climate Change: Departmental Coordination"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate cross-governmental co-operation on tackling climate change.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4058", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Blomfield"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Blomfield"} ], "uin" : "911861"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135859", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135859/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Home Office can confirm a substantive response to the questions raised is being prepared and apologises for the delay in responding.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-04T15:40:42.003Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Members: Correspondence"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to respond to the letter of 19 June 2018 from the hon. Member for Sheffield Central in respect of Written Parliamentary Questions on Tier 2 Visas, CTS Reference number M8354/18.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4058", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Blomfield"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Blomfield"} ], "uin" : "271487"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135990", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135990/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The second official statistics \u2013 \u2018EU Settlement Scheme Statistics, May 2019\u2019 \u2013 on the operation of the scheme were published on 20 June 2019, including applications received and decisions made to 31st May 2019. These can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-may-2019<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-04T15:28:18.687Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Immigration: EU Nationals"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of applications that have been (a) received, (b) concluded and (c) turned down for the EU Settlement Scheme at 31 May 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4058", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Blomfield"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Blomfield"}
], "uin" : "271538"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1136060", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1136060/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Grade 7 and Grade 6 is currently a combined grade in Cabinet Office known as Band A. The Department also has an additional grade between Band A and SCS1 level known as 'Extended Band A'.<\/p> <\/p> The table below shows how many officials at those grades have left Cabinet Office in each quarter of each year since 1 April 2016.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>