Cost of UK visas and Immigration Health Surcharge set to rise
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The UK Prime Minister has announced a big hike in visa fees and the compulsory charges migrants pay to access the UK鈥檚 health system.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to increase the charges that we have for migrants who are coming to this country when they apply for visas,鈥 Rishi Sunak told a press conference on Thursday. 鈥淎nd indeed, something called the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is the levy that they pay to access the NHS. So all of those fees are going to go up and that will raise over a billion pounds.鈥
Chief Secretary of the Treasury John Glen then provided more details on the price rises in parliament.
The increases have to be voted on by both Houses of Parliament before being implemented, so will probably take effect in the autumn after the summer parliamentary recess.
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The annual Immigration Health Surcharge migrants pay to use the National Health Service until they are settled is set to increase by 64 per cent: from 拢624 to 拢1,035 per year, with the discounted rate for students, children and youth mobility visa holders increasing from 拢470 to 拢776 per year.
We await an announcement of when this increase will happen, so it is advisable to get applications in swiftly.
John Glen also said that the cost of work visas and visit visas would increase by 15 per cent. He added that the Government would hike “the cost of study visas, certificates of sponsorship, settlement, citizenship, wider entry clearance, leave to remain and priority visas by at least 20 per cent.”
He also promised: “We are also equalising costs for students and those using a priority service, so that people pay the same whether they apply from within the UK or from outside the UK.”
Priority services allow applicants to pay extra to receive a decision on their visa or settlement application quicker. So currently, applying within the UK, you can pay 拢500 to receive a decision within five working days and 拢800 for a reply by the end of the next working day.聽 Without this, applicants could wait eight weeks or even up to six months in some categories. Charges for “Priority” and “Super Priority” applications outside the UK vary: for typical work, study and visit visas it鈥檚 拢250 for five working days and an additional 拢956 for a next day response.聽 For overseas applications by people joining a British spouse or partner, the 鈥淧riority鈥 fee is 拢573 for a decision in six weeks, compared with the normal 12 to 24 weeks.
As the Treasury minister alluded, Student Visa application fees also vary: 拢363 if applying outside the UK; 拢490 to extend or switch to a Student visa from inside the UK.
We can only guess that the “equalising” the minister mentioned will be upwards. Whether that will be after an increase of upwards of 20 per cent has been added remains to be seen.
Both the Prime Minister and his Chief Treasury Secretary chose to link the increase in costs for UK migrants to the Government鈥檚 current pay disputes with public servants.
Under pressure to accept the recommendation of an independent review of pay for teachers, police, junior doctors and other public sector workers, Rishi Sunak confirmed a pay rise of between five and seven per cent across the board.
He said that this would be paid for with 拢1 billion raised from increasing immigration fees, as well as asking Government departments to 鈥渞eprioritise鈥 鈥 which he insisted did not mean cuts to services.
You can find out more or to discuss the implications of the UK Government鈥檚 announcements for you or your staff hires.