Planned Changes to Immigration Health Surcharge

Current Immigration Health Surcharge rates are:£150 per year for a student or Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa. (For example £300 for a 2-year visa); and£200 per year for all other visa and immigration applications. (For example £1,000 for a 5-year visa).

UK Visas & Immigration have today released proposals that would potentially see increases to the above figures for non-EU nationals as detailed below:£300 per year for a student or Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa; and£400 per year for all other visa and immigration applications (i.e. Points Based System applications, Settlement (Spouse Visa applications).

Since the Immigration Health Surcharge was introduced in 2015, it is reported to have raised over £600m, to which the Department of Health and Social Care, and health ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have stated that the extra funds have been invested back into the respective health budgets.

The current minister for Immigration, Caroline Nokes, who is also the conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North has also made a further statement, which can be found by visiting the following .GOV webpage:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/increase-to-immigration-health-surcharge-gives-nhs-extra-funding

Migrants who come to the UK on a short term basis, for example, holders of valid visitor visas will still be allowed to receive NHS treatment, and are generally charged for secondary care treatment by the NHS at the point of access.

It has been proposed that the increase will come into effect in December 2018, subject to Parliamentary approval.