United Kingdom, 7th April: The UK has begun new health surcharge for all non-EU visa applicants wishing to stay in the UK for a period extending 6 months.
The new UK health surcharge has become effective from 6th April, 2015.
<blockquote> Non-EU UK visa applicants wanting to stay in the UK for six months or longer will have to pay a health surcharge for getting access to UK National Health Service. </blockquote>
How much will be the new UK Health Surcharge?—Well, as per the details, an additional £200 will be required to be paid as a fee for getting National Health Service coverage. Indians studying in the UK will have to pay such new fees.
The latest step by the UK government is to cover a part of the migrant healthcare to the British taxpayer. These new charges of (£200) annually are meant to be paid when applying for a UK visa. The new fee has become effective already from 6th April this year. Students shall be required to pay £150.
New fee also for those seeking UK stay extension—It may be worth noted that the new fee of £200 shall be required to be paid by those already in the UK hailing from the EEA wanting to get extension of their UK stay.
Foreigners visiting the UK on a UK tourist visa shall not be required to pay the latest additional fee. And those wanting to move to the UK on intra-company transfer visa will not be required to pay the new fee.
So, all those from New Zealand and Australia on ICT Tier 2 visa moving to the UK don’t need to pay such fee. Meanwhile, they shall be required to get registered on the surcharge website.
Those whose applications are rejected shall be able to get the refund of the new additional fee. Those withdrawing their UK visa application shall also be refunded the new additional fee.