The United Kingdom has announced plans to “significantly” increase visa fees and the immigration health surcharge (IHS) in order to finance pay increases in the public sector. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the announcement during a press conference, stating that the government would raise charges for migrants applying for visas and the immigration health surcharge, which grants access to the National Health Service (NHS).
Sunak emphasized the need to find alternative sources of funding to prioritize higher pay for public sector workers, ruling out tax increases and additional borrowing as they could worsen inflation. The proposed fee increases are expected to generate over a billion pounds in revenue. Visa application fees and immigration health surcharges will both see significant increases.
The prime minister justified the decision by highlighting that these fees have not been raised in recent years, despite rising costs. He described the move as a substantial contribution to supporting public sector workers. Teachers and health workers in the UK have recently gone on strike to demand pay increases, and the government has now agreed to a raise of between five and seven percent based on recommendations from an independent pay review body.
The funding for these pay increases will be derived from higher visa fees and health surcharges paid by foreigners entering the UK. The current surcharge stands at £470 per year for students and those on Youth Mobility Scheme visas, and £624 per year for other visa and immigration applications, with the same amount applying to dependents.
