IHS - Immigration Health Surcharge is set to increase.....again!!
On 12th March 2020 the UK Budget Report was announced and included that the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) will increase in October 2020.
How much will the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) increase by?
It won't double like it did in January 2018, but there will be an increase of around 56%.
The Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa will increase from £300 per year to £470 per year. This UK Working Holiday Visa is for 2 years, so you will pay £940 just for the IHS fee, plus £244 for the Visa fee. The IHS Fee for the Tier 4 Student Visa will also increase to £470 per year of the visa.
For the UK Ancestry Visa, Tier 2 UK Visas, and Tier 1 Visas, the IHS increase will increase from £400 per year, to £624 per year for each year of the visa. For the UK Ancestry Visa, which is a 5 year visa, the IHS fee will total £3120.
Before you panic, though... there is an upside!
Children's IHS fees used to be the same price as adults and this has now been decreased. Children under the age of 18 will pay the discounted IHS fee of £470 per year for each year of the visa's validity.
You might be wondering... How can I avoid paying the increase?
Yes... you can!
You need to apply for your UK working visa before October 2020.
What if you don't want to travel this year?
Easy. The Youth Mobility Visa can be applied for 6 months in advance, meaning, if you apply on the 30th September 2020, you can travel to the UK between 29th March 2021 to 28th April 2021.
For the UK Ancestry Visa, you can apply 3 months in advance, so if you apply at the end of September 2020, you can travel at the end of January 2021.
It's important make sure you get your dates right AND have all the correct documents ready by September 2020 to ensure you don't miss the deadline before the IHS increase happens!
Need some help? Let us handle everything for you! Contact us today and we can get your application started before the IHS Fee increases.
Want to know more about the Immigration Health Surcharge and why you have to pay it? See our other blog for more information! » https://www.restlessworld.com.au/blogs/news/wondering-why-you-are-paying-ihs