UK introduces health surcharge

copied from the other site==

"Non-EEA nationals visiting the UK on a tourist visa will not pay the health surcharge, but will continue to be fully liable for the costs of any NHS treatment at the point they receive it."

this is news to me. is it correct ?

We better get citizenship done then...just in case.

Its going to be very confusing initially for people applying for visas in the next few months, I think we will be reading a lot posts on this subject in the near future.

Hopefully some further clarity and confirmation will come to light, between now and then.

As we all know, it is very hard to criticise this move by the Government as it saves us the tax payer £2 billion a year and the NHS has had its services abused for many years now by health tourist.

Just a pain regarding the extra cost to a visa, especially if you have a couple of kids.

Heres another government document on the topic.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...e/415129/Surcharge_customer_info_web_v1.2.pdf

It could make it unaffordable for some.

It isnt clear if those already on ILR will have to pay.

I would guess that you will not have to pay when you have ILR as you are then free from immigration restrictions (more or less) and you can claim benefits if needed.

You won't have to pay because there's no visa to apply for.

I tend to think that too.

Yep you're done once at ILR stage.

Thats good. We have been a bit slow but we are preparing our application for citizenship just now. So that should definitely do the trick.

Don't we have another thread regarding the government's acceptance that the current immigration rules unfairly discriminate against British nationals and that the Immigration minister promised to do something to level the playing field? So he announces that whilst someone else decides to levy a NHS charge for non EU-citizen spouses thereby further discriminating against British nationals. What a morally-bankrupt policy that is! Are persons from the EU less likely to need the NHS in government's view - if so, that's racial discrimination.

Maybe Brokenshire and his kitten-heeled boss should move to France for a year or so. There they will find that being an EU citizen exercising their freedom of movement rights does not mean that they and their families are entitled to free health care on the French NHS but will have to subscribe to a health insurance policy that can cost around Eur 1,5000 a year. BUPA is not acceptable, the provider must be one from a list of French companies.

So, in a nutshell it will put £600 on the cost of a FLR visa as it is valid for 33 months which takes it just over two and a half years.

Note that I have read in the notes that part years, under six months will be charged at £100 and above six months (as in the 33 month FLR) will be charged the full amount for the year (£200). So in affect you are paying for three years when applying for a FLR. Making the FLR cost over £1,600 if you use premium service at the UKVI, very expensive indeed.

Am I right?

Its payable per visa applicant so it will amount to a small fortune for a family with a couple of kids over a five year period until the ILR is granted.

...wouldn't it be £500 as the FLR is 2.5 years residency? You can apply for your visa 28 days before the 30th month upon entry to the UK

I don't think so as the FLR is for over 2.5 years, its closer to 3 (33 months)

In order to apply for ILR you have to have residency in the UK for 5 years (residency). 2.5 + 2.5 years = 5 years. 2.5 years = 30 months, hence £500

The additional 3 months on a spousal visa (the initial entry clearance) is to get your house in order , ie.e booking flights etc. You have to be resident 30 months. The second FLR is 30 months as you are already in the UK at that point (spousal visa)

I think it depends;

If you apply for your first visa as a spousal visa outside the UK, it is valid for 33 months - this is in order to give you 3 months leeway at the beginning of the visa to get organised and move to the UK, and still qualify for ILR later on.
If you arrive in the UK on a different visa (fiance visa) and get married in the UK, then switch to FLR(M), it will only be valid for 30 months because you are already in the UK.
So:
1) if you have a spousal visa, for FLR(M), you can apply 28 days you reach 30 months in the UK. Depending on when you entered the UK on your visa, this may or may not be 28 days before the visa expires (if you entered the UK on the day the visa started, you can apply for FLR(M) 3 months and 28 days before it expires).
2) If you have an FLR(M) visa as your first visa, which is only valid 30 months, you cannot apply for the second FLR(M) until 28 days before the visa expires... because this is also 28 days before you reach 30 months in the UK.

Maths was never my strongpoint