UK to increase its visa fee to meet health sector cost

• You will now have to pay more for your UK visa as the fees and health surcharge paid towards the UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) by visa applicants from around the world, including Indians, are set to rise “significantly” to meet the country’s public sector wage increase, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

• The Prime Minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak, has been pressured to follow the recommendation of an independent review regarding pay for public sector workers such as teachers, police officers, and junior doctors. The review suggests a salary increase ranging from 5 to 7 percent for all.

• However, he stressed that this would not be met with higher government borrowing for fear of further stoking high inflation and therefore the costs would need to be found elsewhere.
  
  

UK To Increase Its Visa Fee to Meet Health Sector Cost

• Visa applicants, including Indians, will soon have to pay higher fees and health surcharges for their UK visas. This increase is due to a significant rise in public sector wages, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The additional fees will support the UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS).
• During a press conference at Downing Street, Sunak explained that if we are going to increase the pay of public sector workers, we must find the funds from elsewhere. He believes raising taxes or borrowing more money would be irresponsible and worsen inflation. 

• So, the government plans things to find this money. Therefore, the government has decided to increase charges for migrants applying for visas and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fee to access healthcare in the UK.

• He added that all the fees will go up, which will increase by more than GBP 1 billion, so, across the board. Also, the visa application fees for students will go up significantly and similarly for the IHS. 

• Rishi Sunak repeated that this was completely right as all of these costs have not been raised recently. The government of the UK believes that it is appropriate given that the fees have increased since the previous hike.

• The IHS means Immigration Health Surcharge applies to long-term migrants to the UK, with a discounted rate for candidates, starting from approximately 470 GBP for a year and increasing to thousands of pounds for multiple-year visa applications.

• The complete details regarding which types of visa categories will face hikes and when the new, more elevated rate comes into force are anticipated to be announced by the home office of the UK in the upcoming months. 

• Junior doctors in England started a five-day strike as their request for a 35% salary increase was rejected. Sunak, in his wage statement, warned that his proposal was “final” and that additional work stoppage would not change that decision.

• It has been decided that negotiations on pay will not continue. This year’s settlements will not be up for discussion again, and no amount of strikes will change this decision. However, we have reached a settlement that will end the strikes fairly. This deal benefits both workers and the British taxpayer,” he said

• He was pleased to hear that the teachers’ unions supported the government’s offer. This proposal will allow all the school leaders and teachers to call off their strike action and continue normal relations.