Immigration Health Surcharge increase to £624 delayed

The Immigration Health Surcharge will no longer increase from £400 to £624 on 1 October 2020 as originally planned.

The draft order setting a 1 October date for the increase has been replaced by a new draft order which still hikes up the surcharge but only comes into force 21 days after it is made into law. Since it hasn’t yet been made, it cannot come into force on the 1st.

The new version of the order is almost in place, though: it has been approved by the House of Commons (on 22 September) and the House of Lords (on 23 September). That means all it needs is a minister’s signature to become law and start the 21 day countdown. But even if it were signed today, the earliest it could come into force would be 15 October — a bit of breathing space for those scrambling to complete applications before they become more expensive.

The revised order also provides that applicants for a Health and Care visa are exempt from paying the surcharge. A reduced rate of £470 will apply to students, dependants of students, Youth Mobility visa holders and anyone under 18.