The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a fee imposed on foreign nationals applying for immigration permission in the UK.
The surcharge is set to increase from £624 to £1,035 per year on 6th February 2024; representing a 66% increase.
Children aged under 18, students and applicants under YMS will see an increase from £470 to £776 per year.
The new fee was set to come into force on 16 January 2024 – the date given in the original draft order in October 2023.
CJ McKinney noted on X that the increase would debated in the House of Commons on 10 January 2024
The earliest it could come in to law would be 31 January – 21 days after the order is ‘made’.
The increase in now set to come into force on 6th February 2024.
The increase is part of the government five point plan to curb legal migration.
We are yet to see what impact the new IHS fees will have on the UK immigration system, however, this significant increase will undoubtedly result in a more selective influx of migrants to the UK.