The government introduced the Immigration Health Surcharge on 6th April 2015.
The increase will come into effect on the 8th January 2019.
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is payable by non-EU migrants who are coming to the UK to stay for more than six months or applying for an extension of their visa. You do not pay the IHS if you have claimed asylum or applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
The purpose of the Immigration Health Surcharge is to enable a non-EU migrant to access the National Health Service free of charge.
There are some exemptions where you do not have to pay the IHS.
In December 2018, the following charges will apply in accordance with the draft Immigration (Health Charge)
(Amendment) Order 2018:
(a) application for entry clearance or leave to remain as a student, increases from £150 to £300 per year.
(b) application for entry clearance or leave to remain as the dependant of a student, increases from £150 to £300 per year.
(c) application for entry clearance as a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) Temporary Migrant, increases from £150 to £300 per year.
(d) all other applications for entry clearance or leave to remain, increases from £200 to £400 per year.
Optimus Law recommends that you submit your application as soon as possible to avoid the double IHS fees in December 2018.
Our staff will be working overtime over the Holiday period to deal with expedited applications.
If you are struggling to pay the IHS amount, consider applying for a fee waiver application.
Get in touch with us via our Contact page or give us a call to discuss an application.