Immigration Health Surcharge
Immigration health surcharge for UK visas will be introduced on 6 April 2015. It will apply to all applications where payment is made on or after 6 April. The health surcharge will be set at £200 a year for temporary migrants and £150 a year for students. Dependents ( UK Visa child applicants) will generally be charged the same amount as their main applicant. The total surcharge amount for the whole period of leave granted will be payable upfront and when the visa fee is payable online ( to be confirmed). this charge will now be calculated at the online application stage & added to the visa application fees.
Immigration health surcharge who does it affect?
- UK Settlement Visa Applicants
- Further, Leave To Remain, Applicants,
- Those wishing to spend more than 6 months in the UK
- If your visa is refused the IHS will be refunded
- UK fiance visa applications do not need to pay the IHS
The immigration health surcharge will ensure that temporary, non-EEA migrants coming to the UK for more than six months contribute to the NHS funds and not be a burden on the state. The immigration health surcharge is not a visa fee. The payment will be collected by the Home Office and it will go directly into the National Health Service (NHS) and will give migrants access to the NHS on the same terms as a permanent UK resident. The surcharge will be set at a competitive rate and will be a lower cost over the period of stay than the cost of even basic private medical insurance costs in the UK. Private medical insurance for students and working migrants is a common requirement for many visa applicants wishing to travel to, Australia and the USA, and costs are a lot more.
If you are refused a UK visa the immigration health surcharge will be refunded, but should you not travel to the UK or you stay less time than intended you will not get a partial refund of your fees. For further information in full about UK settlement visas & how to meet the new financial requirements contact us today for free UK Immigration advice, or read all about the immigration health surcharges here.