Immigration Health Surcharge to increase on 16th January 2024
Following on from our earlier blog post on the proposed increases to Immigration Fees which took effect in October 2023, the UK Government has now laid the Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2023 (the Order) before parliament which provides for the increase to come into force on 16 January 2024, or 21 days after parliament has approved the Order, should this be later.
This means that from the 16th January:
The rate of the Immigration Health Surcharge will increase from the current £624 per year to £1,035 per year.
The discounted rate for students and those under 18 will increase from £470 per year to £776 per year.
Significant impact on applicants and some employers
The Immigration Health Surcharge must be paid upfront when the application is submitted online. This means that applicants and their families will now need to pay significant amounts upfront to the Government. Employers should take note of this and if possible they may wish to offer loans to employees to cover these costs.
It is important to remember that many applications can be made early, and if you have an immigration application coming up, please contact us as we may be able to avoid paying this increase in fee.
