Costs for healthcare surcharge
Dear Mr Bassie,
PREVIOUSLY, YOU had explained what healthcare surcharge is. I would like you to kindly advise on the cost of healthcare surcharge.
FM.
Dear FM,
The exact amount persons will pay for healthcare surcharge will depend on the length of the visa that they are given. Please be aware that a visa may last longer than the individual’s course of study or period of employment.
COST FOR A YEAR
Please note that persons will have to pay:
• £470 per year for a student or Youth Mobility Scheme visa, for example, £940 for a two-year visa
• £470 per year for visa and immigration applicants who are under the age of 18 years old at time of application
• £624 per year for all other visa and immigration applications, for example, £3,120 for a five-year visa
COST FOR PART OF A YEAR
The amount persons will have to pay depends on the length of the visa that they are given and where they apply from. Persons do not need to pay the surcharge if they are applying from outside the United Kingdom (UK) for six months or less.
If they are applying from inside the UK, they will have to pay half the yearly cost. For example, £235 for a student, Youth Mobility Scheme or under-18 application, and £312 for any other application.
Please note that, if it is more than six months but less than one year, wherever persons apply from, they will have to pay the cost of a full year.
COST FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR
If the visa is for more than a year, those persons will have to pay the yearly cost plus half the yearly cost, if it is for 18 months or less. They will need to pay the cost of two full years if it is for more than 18 months but less than two years
PAYING FOR DEPENDENTS
Dependents ages 18 years or over usually need to pay the same amount as the applicant. It is advisable that applicants calculate how much they will have to pay before applying.
The exact amount paid will depend on the length of the visa they are given, which may last longer than their course of study or period of employment. This may mean that the actual payment could be more than calculated.
REFUNDS
Persons will automatically get a partial refund if they paid the healthcare surcharge for more years than they were granted leave.
If applying for a visa online, persons pay the surcharge as part of the application. If they apply for a visa by post, they must pay the surcharge online before sending the application. They will need to include their IHS reference number on the application form.
Persons will get an email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if they do not pay the surcharge (or do not pay enough) as part of their visa or immigration application.
It is advisable to check the junk folder if persons do not see the email in their inbox.
Upon receipt of the email, persons must pay the surcharge within:
• 10 working days if they are inside the UK
•Seven working days if they are outside the UK
Please note that a visa or immigration application will be turned down if persons do not pay the full amount in this time.
PAYING THE HEALTHCARE SURCHARGE
If making an immigration application online, please pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application process. Persons must complete the payment and return to the online immigration application in less than 30 minutes.
If they are making an immigration application by post, they must pay the healthcare surcharge before completingtheir application.Those persons must pay the healthcare surcharge by debit or credit card.
If they are applying online, they will be asked for:
• The start and end dates on their certificate of sponsorship, if they have one
• Their course dates if they are applying as a student
If they are applying by post, they will also be asked for:
• the type of visa they are applying for
• their passport or travel document number
• an email address
I hope this helps.
John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorneyat-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com