Visa application costs

My daughter in law is in the process of applying for the renewal of her visa. Since being in the U.K. (for two years) she has worked and paid National Insurance and tax. She is now being asked as part of the visa renewal to pay over £500 for NHS cover. If this is not paid upfront the visa application will not be processed. This is in addition to the £1000+ for the visa itself.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
«1

Comments

  • izoomzoom
    izoomzoom Posts: 1,564
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Don't really know what advise you want. The NHS surcharge is compulsory and was brought in to relieve some of the financial strain on the NHS.

    As soon as your DIL can apply for ILR, I suggest she does.
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,245
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Does she really want to stay in England? Presumably your son is a British citizen and so the two of them enjoy the right to Freedom of Movement under EU laws. They could live and work in any of the EU member countries other than the UK without having to pay a penny for the visa.
  • lotto
    lotto Posts: 100
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    I understand why, and agree with the contribution to NHS for those who are using it without contributing to it, but I don't understand why she should be contributing twice!

    My son now wants to live in his own country, after spending five years studying/ working in Japan with his wife, who in turn doesn't want to live off the state, but work and pay for services through tax and NI contributions.

    The reason for asking for advice was to see if anyone knew of any appeal system.
  • IAmWales
    IAmWales Posts: 2,024 Forumite
    lotto wrote: »
    I understand why, and agree with the contribution to NHS for those who are using it without contributing to it, but I don't understand why she should be contributing twice!

    My son now wants to live in his own country, after spending five years studying/ working in Japan with his wife, who in turn doesn't want to live off the state, but work and pay for services through tax and NI contributions.

    The reason for asking for advice was to see if anyone knew of any appeal system.

    Do you think their NI covers the full cost of healthcare? It doesn't, and if they have or are planning to have children it won't even come close.

    There is no right to appeal.
  • lotto
    lotto Posts: 100
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    I know their contributions would not cover full NHS cover for everyone, (neither would yours or mine) but it has definitely covered hers and others for the time she has been in this country. She hasn't made a single trip to a hospital or doctor and if she did it would be covered by Private Health care.

    They certainly don't expect to get something for nothing.
  • harz99
    harz99 Posts: 3,617
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Home Insurance Hacker!
    Forumite
    lotto wrote: »
    I know their contributions would not cover full NHS cover for everyone, (neither would yours or mine) but it has definitely covered hers and others for the time she has been in this country. She hasn't made a single trip to a hospital or doctor and if she did it would be covered by Private Health care.

    They certainly don't expect to get something for nothing.



    Unfortunately when any of us go live/work in another country other than where we were born, we have to live by the rules of that country whether we agree with them or not.


    In this case that means paying the NHS supplementary charge or moving on elsewhere. AFAIK there is no appeal. The choice is your daughter in law's to make.
  • emmatthews
    emmatthews Posts: 678 Forumite
    In all honesty I think £500 is an absolute bargain. I understand she has also been making contributions, but it is still very little to pay for the services offered by the NHS.

    Routine doctors appointments, A&E visits and pregnancy/childbirth are not usually covered by private health insurance either.
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    She just needs to pay up.
  • WillowCat
    WillowCat Posts: 974
    First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Presumably then she will no longer need private healthcare. She can use the money she saves from giving that up to pay for the NHS charge.
  • ognum
    ognum Posts: 4,835
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    lotto wrote: »
    My daughter in law is in the process of applying for the renewal of her visa. Since being in the U.K. (for two years) she has worked and paid National Insurance and tax. She is now being asked as part of the visa renewal to pay over £500 for NHS cover. If this is not paid upfront the visa application will not be processed. This is in addition to the £1000+ for the visa itself.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    I clearly don't know if you have ever lived in another country other than your own. I have lived in two other countries for an extended period.

    In the USA I was not allowed to work, I went as a hanger on to my husbands visa and the conditions were that I didn't work, no right of appeal that was the condition. ( I volunteered)

    In another country I queued up for hours on end each year to get a police statement and then queued again for hours to pay through the nose to get a passport stamp to say I could reside but not work!

    These were the conditions for the countries I lived in, no right of appeal. Pay up and put up or ship out. It's a hard feeling but that's the situation.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards