Friday 29-05-2026 - 11:57

International students who have paid a Student or Child Student entry clearance fee since late 2023 may have been overcharged. 

The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) has found that UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has been charging international students more than the law actually prescribes, as reported by Wonkhe. 

What does that mean for you, if you’ve paid these fees? 

• If you paid between Autumn 2023 and March 2025, the difference between what you paid and what the law actually required you to pay is £127. 

• If you paid between March 2025 and now, it’s £161.  

What can you do about it? 

We are hearing that the Home Office are reluctant to give refunds, but the more pressure we collectively put on this issue, the better. Refund requests must be made within five years of payment [source]. Former students who’ve since graduated and left the UK can also claim refunds, as the Home Office’s five-year window runs from the date of payment, not the date of your visa’s expiration.  

We want to make it as easy as possible for you - here’s a draft letter you can update and then submit.   

Fill in the bits in square brackets and then submit your letter through the route indicated on your visa correspondence, or via the Home Office contact UKVI channels if you don’t have a specific address handy.   

Remember to keep a copy of the submission and any acknowledgement received. 

It is still unclear as to whether these refunds will be upheld, so we need your help. Please let us know if you have sent though a refund request by filling out this quick form. This helps us keep track of how many students from Bristol have engaged with this and use the data as a lobbying lever if we need it. You can also optionally leave your email so that we can contact you with any campaign updates going forward. 

What else have we done about it? 

• We are encouraging colleagues across the University to contact current and alumni international students with a link to this article, including the Visa and International Student Success team 

• We ask that you help us track how many students have submitted for a refund, so we can use this data to map the Home Office’s response and lobby for refunds if necessary  

• We are in touch with other SUs to join up with any lobbying if necessary 

 

From Jessie, your International Students’ Officer