Pipmeister

OMG- I've had both my wife's and my step-daughter's Settlement Visa's online application complete - save actually submitting for Payment and confirming the Appointment (wanted to make sure my two weeks was enough to get all my documents). Didn't bother to read the 'smaller' print on the Visa home page about the Health Surcharge. If only I had actually submitted the damn Applications on Sunday I would have saved myself $2000!!!!! The only reason I didn't.. I was waiting for a package (with said documents in) to be delivered by USPS and didn't want to tempt fate they would turn up.

OMG... well that's the money for the new fridge, washing machine and microwave gone!!!!

SanDiegogirl

Yes..... its 200 GBP per person, per year for the length of the visa issued. Until such time as ILR is obtained.

Pipmeister

yeah it was $953.

I just didn't see the advance notice of that on the application page - I saw the notice about China, though.

I'm kicking myself - only because I was awaiting 'official' statements from the UK bank, which everyone has now said just print them off, they don't seem to care any more!

SanDiegogirl

Oh well....... think of the savings you will make on medical insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays over the years !

Pipmeister

lol.. But if I had applied on Sunday think of the Private Healthcare premiums that $2k would have paid for to add my family on my employer's scheme...

I'm not mad about the principle of the scheme. I think it is much needed. I'm just mad at myself and the US Postal Service.

WEBlue

I'm confused as to what cost $2K?

I thought it was $953, as you mention above, that you paid for 2 people (200 Bp each) for the NHS health surcharge....

SanDiegogirl

I presume he means 983 dollars each - spouse and step daughter.

Pipmeister

yes 2 x the $953

I did them both on one form seeing as it asked my wife if she had any dependents - as opposed to my filling out a separate application for my step-daughter.

Dundee15

I thought it was going to cost a total of 500 GBP for each person that is given a 30 month visa.

I just did the online how much will it cost and it came up with 600 GBP for a spouse entry visa or FLR(m)

SanDiegogirl

...... because the visa is for more than 2.5 years? i.e 33 month visa allowing for the additional 3 months to allow for travel.

See below:

https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigr...n/how-much-pay

If part of the year is over 6 months they charge for whole year. ......

WEBlue

This explains it. They've charged for 3 years.

NiHao

Pipmeister,

That is so frustrating! I have been looking at the visa website and you are right they did have the Advance notice about China but they didn't have any warning that the Health Surcharge was about to happen. Such a bummer that you were so close to submitting your applications

alfista1

I understood incorrectly then. I thought the surcharge was for visitors only!!! OMG
Even my sister in law who is on ILR in London read the docs and understood we wouldn't have to pay.

Just about to submit the online application.
Wife will not be pleased at all. At times she almost gave up with all the obstacles we've had to overcome to be a family in the UK.

Confused now after reading this (the part in bold - my wife is applying to stay permanently in the UK so she shouldn't have to pay if I understand this correctly):

sons of guns!! doesn't make sense as it asks you how long you plan to remain the UK on the application. We put PERMANENTLY. So a small contradiction no?

alfista1

So I hope all the EU migrants will be paying this fee also and not just the non-eu migrants.

formula

They have it worse as it seems they won't be offered the chance to have this £200 a year to cover all their healthcare and existing medical problems in the UK. Many have to buy full Compehensive Sickness Insurance to cover all their and all their dependants medical problems. The new law means they will have to actually use their insurance policies now as the NHS must now check and bill, or be fined for not doing so. If they don't have insurance then they will pay 150% of the NHS cost to the NHS trust that gave the treatment.

Now, unless the EU citizen is in work in the UK (and the NHS can now check because of the new Real Time system for HMRC that started in 2013, where every time you are paid your employer has to inform HMRC) then they pay. The same for all their dependants if the EEA citizen isn't in work.

They can use their own countries EHIC and make up any shortfall in payment themselves, but as this new 2014 law also makes it easier for the UK to reclaim all the millions other EEA countries owe the NHS, their own EU country might no want to pay if that person is residing in the UK. The UK won't pay for those using a UK EHIC in another country if that person resides in that country.

Plus they changed the rules for what a Qualified Person for Free Movement is in the UK in 2012 & 2013 and again on 6 April 2015 and because EU changes are retrospective, it is now affecting those who arrived in the UK before these dates. Just a few hours a week working or claiming to be Self Employed when you don't make much money, won't cut it anymore. Many now can't have anything from the UK as the new rules mean they have lost their right to reside in the UK. The Tories also plan to deport those who have lost the right to reside under the EUs Free Movement, to free up the strain on schools ect.

For your wife, whom you wisely decided to use the UK immigration route for, in work or out of work, that £200 Health Surcharge a year will cover all her health costs and give her immediate cover when she arrives on her UK spouse visa. You and your son, as Brits, get immediate free access to your NHS when you reside in the UK. Don't believe all you read about the EU route to the UK as the facts show that things have got a lot harder in the UK over the last 4 years and Germany are following the new UK rules.


https://www.freemovement.org.uk/exis...using-benefit/

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/...elfare-tourism

https://www.freemovement.org.uk/bene...-2014-changes/

https://www.freemovement.org.uk/remo...ea-jobseekers/

and some of the plans to make it even harder

http://www.frankfield.com/latest-new....aspx?p=102782