We have been waiting for clarification on when this increase will come into force. Following a debate last week in the House of Commons, Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2024 was approved on 15 January 2024 and signed into law ("made") on 16 January 2024. The IHS increase takes effect 21 days after this which is 6th February 2024.
This means that from 6th February onwards, the increased IHS fees will apply to all visa applications. This means that, a family of four on a five year Skilled Worker visa would have to pay, at the time of submitting the visa application, a total of £18,110 for their Immigration Health Surcharge, compared to the £10,940 previously.
What this means for employers and visa applicants
There is still some time to go to submit visa applications before the IHS increase comes into force. If you have any applications in the pipeline, it would be worthwhile submitting them, if this is possible, by 5th February 2024 before the increase takes effect.
It is important to keep in mind that submitting early to take advantage of the lower fees may not always be the best course of action. You will need to take into account the fact that sponsored work visa applications can only be submitted three months before a start date. Furthermore, early submission of an extension application may impact on someone's ability to apply for indefinite leave to remain, as they could be left short of the five years continual residence they require.
If you would like to discuss these changes or any other immigration issue, please contact Joanna Hunt, Head of Immigration or the co-author of this article Douglas Li.
