Premium service appointment - IHS payment

Hi folks,

Just a quick question to those who have booked a premium service appointment. I'm assuming that the site is correct when it says to go off and pay the IHS first, then enter the number in the form. At that point, does it carry on and let you book the time?

Additionally, is there any "expiry" for the IHS? If we go through this and our preferred time isn't yet available, does the IHS stay "live" for some time? Do we have 28 days, or 7 days, or six months, or something, to get back to the application?

I ask this because when we booked our first FLR(M) premium appointment, the IHS had some teething issues and we paid after the booking time, and it wouldn't accept our IHS number that we paid for already (so we had to double-pay and get a refund on one later).

Thanks!

I posted a reply and then deleted it.

Let me start again:

- how are you applying for FLR(M) - paper form or online form?

The order you do things and pay for things is different depending on how you apply.

I would NOT recommend using the online form to apply as it is buggy, the questions are different and we can't see it, so can't advise on how to fill it out.

I believe, if you use the paper form, you can book your appointment in advance, and you pay for the visa fee, premium fee and IHS at the same time, during the appointment booking. Then you can print off the blank paper application and fill it out closer to your appointment date.

If you use the online form, I believe you have to fill out the application form first, and then you can't book the premium appointment, or pay the visa fee or IHS until after you submit the application form.

Hi ksand24,

We're fully intending to use the paper form to apply - equal parts experience (we did this one already) and recommendation (you guys say use the paper form ).

As part of the booking process for the premium appointment, it's asking for the IHS surcharge number. Clicking away takes you off to pay the surcharge, and then you get to fill the number in on the web form when you get back. My assumption right there is that it'll then take us through and let us book the appointment.

We start off here:

https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/premium-service-appointment-booking

We've then gone forward with the service, filling out the basic details (name, nationality, date of birth, passport number), then it moves on to a form like this:

Code: [Select]

Start Personal details Pay - current step Download and print
◀ Back
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
Scheduled Maintenance
The planned maintenance for 25/26th November has been postponed.

Add your Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) reference number
If you have not paid your IHS, you must do so before you can complete your visa application. You must pay
using the external IHS website and then return to this site to complete your visa application. When you go
to the IHS website, this application will be locked even if you do not pay your IHS straight away.

Go to IHS website
If you have already paid your IHS, you will have received this reference number via email. Your reference
number will be 9 digits long and start with IHS, for example, IHS123456789.

Enter your IHS reference number

We've not done anything that resembles completing a visa application form yet! I'm guessing as this is the only route for booking the appointment that all is in order, but I'm a little loathe to have to drop two lots of IHS again

I would imagine it will take you back to the form, but if in doubt, why not pay the IHS surcharge first (https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/pay), before you go to book the appointment?

That way, you will already have the IHS number before you start and so you won't need to click away and then come back to the form afterwards, you can just enter the number right away.

I think we'll do that, ksand24 thanks. If we do end up having to pay twice and pursue a refund, then I won't be too grumpy about it. Happened before and the money came back fast enough.

The IHS number doesn't run out, does it? We're about six or seven weeks out from our preferred appointment date now, and nine or ten from the visa expiry.

I haven’t heard of anyone having any issues with the IHS recently - when you did the last FLR(M), the IHS has only just been introduced and still had teething problems... but I don’t think anyone has had any problems similar to yours in the last year or two.

You’ll be fine with the IHS number.


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This is what is says on the government site for the IHS -

When you must pay

If you’re making your immigration application online or through a premium service centre, you pay the surcharge as part of your application or when you book an appointment.

If you’re applying by post, you pay the surcharge online before you send your application. You’ll need to include the IHS reference number on your application form.
https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application



Have you booked your premium service centre appointment yet? I haven't seen any problems with premium service and paying the IHS, on other forums.

Brilliant, thanks ksand - it seems better integrated into the form this time around.

Sirius - not yet. It seems that it is part of it, but it's the workflow order that's opaque. I'm sure I'm overthinking it. As I try to book the appointment, it says I should enter my IHS number (go here to pay and get one if you haven't already). I *suspect* (but don't know) that once I do that it'll let me then choose a centre and an appointment

We just booked our appointment for our FLR(M) when we went on to the site to arrange the appointment the first thing we had to do after putting in basic info was click on a link to go pay for the IHS then it took us back to the booking system where we then had to input the IHS number then it allowed us to select the appointment we wanted, there is additional fees for certain appointment times and days. Then it takes you to a payment page to pay the visa fee and in person appointment fee then you get the choice to either complete the form online or download the application form. You will receive email receipts for both the IHS and the visa/appointment fee that you have to take with you to the appointment.