NHS Fees Confirmed

As indicated in earlier threads,  the government is considering instituting  an NHS fee of £200 per year to the cost of visas to combat the allegedly high costs of migrants to the NHS. What wasn't clear to me was if this included visas for those of us with the intention to live permanently in the UK, particularly those of us who already pay into NI. I wrote my MP and finslly received an authoratative response on the matter.

All visas including the spouse visa or FLR (M) will be subject to this fee. We will no longer be subject to the fee once we apply for ILR. Unfortunately, as we know, we will be forced to apply for two visas until we are even eligible for ILR. This means each spouse visa of a 2.5 year duration will go up by £500. It also mean we will be paying  more than anyone else for the same NHS. I find this a lousy response to an imagined problem.

Ugh. I'm so glad I can add £500 to the cost of my visa next year. Fantastic.

As indicated in earlier threads,  the government is considering instituting  an NHS fee of £200 per year to the cost of visas to combat the allegedly high costs of migrants to the NHS. What wasn't clear to me was if this included visas for those of us with the intention to live permanently in the UK, particularly those of us who already pay into NI. I wrote my MP and finslly received an authoratative response on the matter.

All visas including the spouse visa or FLR (M) will be subject to this fee. We will no longer be subject to the fee once we apply for ILR. Unfortunately, as we know, we will be forced to apply for two visas until we are even eligible for ILR. This means each spouse visa of a 2.5 year duration will go up by £500. It also mean we will be paying  more than anyone else for the same NHS. I find this a lousy response to an imagined problem.

That was all clearly written in the Immigration Bill that was made law in May 2014. Whether a new UK government will go further and copy other countries who get tough on those immigrants with exisiting health conditions wanting to use their health service without being billed, is unknown as yet.

I don't think this government have decided the levy amount yet. Have they? That is due to be decided in the next few weeks. All they have said is that the NHS levy will be cheaper than buying health insurance.

The have also confirmed that this heathcare levy will only be available to those on a UK visa of more than 6 months. Visitors and those without legal status in the UK, will not be allowed to buy the NHS levy and will be billed or refused treatment. Free treatment in A&E for all, will end.

EU citizens and their dependants, will not be allowed to buy the NHS levy either. Those residing in the UK as an EU citizen or as a dependant of EU, will still not be allowed to use the NHS for free if the EU citizen isn't working in the UK. They will still need to buy a Comprehensive Sickness Policy for all their family (even if the non-EU dependant is working in the UK). Or they can try to get their own EU country to pay for the health treatment they receive from the UKs health system, for the times when the EU citizen isn't working in the UK.

For EU pensioners living in the UK and receiving a state pension from their EU country, their own EU country will pay for any medical treatment in the UK via their own EU countries EHIC.

Those residing in the UK as an EU citizen or as a dependant of EU, will still not be allowed to use the NHS for free if the EU citizen isn't working in the UK. They will still need to buy a Comprehensive Sickness Policy for all their family (even if the non-EU dependant is working in the UK). Or they can try to get their own EU country to pay for the health treatment they receive from the UKs health system, for the times when the EU citizen isn't working in the UK.

Hang on to your EHIC (not the UK's EHIC) if you have used the EU route to get to the UK. Sites from some solicitors who deal with immigration, are saying that EU immigrants will have to show their EHIC from April, or they will be billed.

I would be interested in how this applies to Irish citizens living in the UK.  Status in general entitles Irish residents in UK to health care but rather vague.

That was all clearly written in the Immigration Bill that was made law in May 2014. Whether a new UK government will go further and copy other countries who get tough on those immigrants with exisiting health conditions wanting to use their health service without being billed, is unknown as yet.

I don't think this government have decided the levy amount yet. Have they? That is due to be decided in the next few weeks. All they have said is that the NHS levy will be cheaper than buying health insurance.

The have also confirmed that this heathcare levy will only be available to those on a UK visa of more than 6 months. Visitors and those without legal status in the UK, will not be allowed to buy the NHS levy and will be billed or refused treatment. Free treatment in A&E for all, will end.

EU citizens and their dependants, will not be allowed to buy the NHS levy either. Those residing in the UK as an EU citizen or as a dependant of EU, will still not be allowed to use the NHS for free if the EU citizen isn't working in the UK. They will still need to buy a Comprehensive Sickness Policy for all their family (even if the non-EU dependant is working in the UK). Or they can try to get their own EU country to pay for the health treatment they receive from the UKs health system, for the times when the EU citizen isn't working in the UK.

For EU pensioners living in the UK and receiving a state pension from their EU country, their own EU country will pay for any medical treatment in the UK via their own EU countries EHIC.

It wasn't clearly written at all, which is why my MP had to confirm the impact it would have on my visa with the department of health. The amount is confirmed now, £200 per year.

Hang on to your EHIC (not the UK's EHIC) if you have used the EU route to get to the UK. Sites from some solicitors who deal with immigration, are saying that EU immigrants will have to show their EHIC from April, or they will be billed.

They will now be capping the number of NI numbers per year to try to limit EU immigration.

They will now be capping the number of NI numbers per year to try to limit EU immigration.

That is a bit more complex.

It wasn't clearly written at all, which is why my MP had to confirm the impact it would have on my visa with the department of health.

In was very clearly written in the Immigaration Act that was published on the Internet in May 2014.  It was then done to death on forums during May and June. i.e. Britishexpats.

The amount is confirmed now, £200 per year.

They government said in the Bill consultation, that they would keep the levy below the cost of private insurance and used guides of £150pa (Students and their dependants) and £200pa for the others, for the Immigration Bill going through Parliament. When the Bill became law, they said they would be using secondary legislation to set the amount for the NHS levy. Until they do, we won't know what the levy will be. They may even keep to £150 and £200 for April 2015. They have confirmed that people will have to pay this levy in advance for the duration of their visa.

I can't find anything to say that secondary legislation has taken place yet. I may have missed it, but a quick flick around the forums seems to suggest that it hasn't taken place yet. Has anyone else seen that secondary legislation?

I would be interested in how this applies to Irish citizens living in the UK.  Status in general entitles Irish residents in UK to health care but rather vague.

Irish citizens are treated as Brits if they reside in the UK and automatically have PR. Brits are treated as Irish on the Island if Ireland and automatically have PR. As stated in the Immigarion Act, those with PR will not have to pay an NHS levy.  The Irish can't just come across to use the NHS, just as UK citizens can't do that to the Irish health service.

If they are just Irish residents (and not citizens) then they haven't got PR in the UK.

I don't know how they will work this out if they introduce a minimum residence wait for NHS use for returning Brits/PR, just as Canada does for returning Canadians with the Canadian health service. They said they had an overwhelming resposonse from the public to the question about those with a UK passport and outside the UK for more than 2 years, not being allowed immediate access to the NHS.

Does anyone have any updates on this? I just received my spousal visa 2 weeks ago and did not have to pay anything other than the application fee and priority processing fee, which was optional. No one from immigration has contacted me about an NHS fee and I do not know to whom I would inquire about it.

Does anyone have any updates on this? I just received my spousal visa 2 weeks ago and did not have to pay anything other than the application fee and priority processing fee, which was optional. No one from immigration has contacted me about an NHS fee and I do not know to whom I would inquire about it.

No news yet that I know of, but assuming it's still going ahead, the NHS levy won't be introduced until April 2015 and I believe it will only apply to visa applications submitted AFTER that date.

So, I don't think you will have anything to worry about - you shouldn't have to pay a levy on your current visa, and as I understand it, it will only be when you apply for your FLR(M) extension in 2.5 years that you will have to pay anything extra.

Although it can be viewed as wrong to be paying twice I'll happily pay the 200 GBP ($300) a year for my wife.

Last year we paid almost $23000 for healthcare in the US (one day in the ER with an ultrasound, no other healthcare).

A little perspective for you.

It's disappointing to hear about this fee, especially since one can purchase longstay travel insurance for 18 months for about £300.00 and it would also provide coverage throughout all of Europe and come with extra perks such as replacing a lost passport, catastrophic events, loss or damage of luggage, missed flights, hospital benefits, etc. I personally think it's a better option than relying on NHS while living on a VISA. WorldWideInsure.com has excellent rates.

As an American, I will lose access to the right to purchase Obamacare as soon as I move to the UK, otherwise I'd choose that as an option instead of the NHS because I'm already familiar with the way US insurance companies operate and I'm OK with the deductibles and co-pays.

Not everybody wants to sign up for NHS.

It's too bad we can't exclude ourselves from these new fees if we can prove we've already paid for adequate travel insurance.

I guess these new changes won't affect my current VISA but 2.5 years from now, after working and paying taxes in the UK, I'm not so sure you'll be able to convince me it's fair that I will need to pay additional fees to access the NHS, as it feels a bit like a punishment to be double-charged.

It's disappointing to hear about this fee, especially since one can purchase longstay travel insurance for 18 months for about £300.00 and it would also provide coverage throughout all of Europe and come with extra perks such as replacing a lost passport, catastrophic events, loss or damage of luggage, missed flights, hospital benefits, etc. I personally think it's a better option than relying on NHS while living on a VISA. WorldWideInsure.com has excellent rates.

That might be an option for someone young and with no pre-existing conditions, but I'm sure they'd want to charge a lot more for retirees.  But I agree it does seem very unfair for people working in the UK to have to pay an extra levy.