Applying for UK Visa- Additional Health surcharge required

From the 6th April 2015, with few exemptions, most persons applying for a visa of 6 months or more  will be required to pay an additional surcharge called an IMMIGRATION HEALTH SURCHARGE.


The health surcharge will be paid by non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals who apply to come to the UK to work, study or join family for a period of more than 6 months.

It will also be paid by non-EEA nationals who are already in the UK and apply to extend their stay after 6 April 2015.

THE COST

• £150 per year for students
• £200 per year for all other temporary visa and immigration applications made overseas and in the UK. 

Dependents will generally pay the same amount as the main applicant.

Those who have paid the surcharge or are exempt will be able to access the National Health Service (NHS) in the same way as a permanent UK resident. Payment may be required for some services such as dental treatment and eye tests.

When you make your immigration application you will be asked some questions to see if you need to pay the health surcharge or if you’re exempt.

You must pay the health surcharge before you finish your immigration application.

If the surcharge is required, but not paid, the application will be refused or treated as invalid and rejected.

If an immigration application is unsuccessful the surcharge will be refunded.

The surcharge payable will cover the entire period of permission to stay in the UK. For example, a person coming to the UK as a sponsored skilled migrant (Tier 2) will be required to pay the charge in full and upfront for the three year period

Anyone coming to the UK on a visitor visa, for example as a tourist, or as an EEA national, does not need to pay the surcharge. However they will remain directly chargeable for hospital treatment.

Regulation changes will mean that from April 2015, non EEA visitors who use the NHS will be charged 150% of the cost of any medical treatment they receive.

It is therefore recommended that this group possesses adequate travel and health insurance.

Update - Revoked and Suspended Colleges UK - March 2015

The UKVI (Home Office) are showing that they are coming down hard on colleges AND universities not following the rules and guidelines as required when accepting Tier 4 visa students.

The following is an update and we are certain there will be more confirmed suspend & revoked to come in the next few weeks.

SUSPENDED Tier 4 Sponsors as of 12th March 2015

1. Aldgate College
2. Apex College
3. Bucks New University (suspended 9th March 2015)
4. Cranford College
5. Essex College of Management and IT Ltd
6. Futures College
7. London College of Advanced Management
8. London College of Business Management and Information Technology
9. London School of Business and Accountancy
10. Middlesex College of Law Ltd
11. Newcastle Academy of Business and Technology
12. Opal College
13. Oxford College of London
14. St. Patrick's International College (suspended 19th Feb 2015)
15. Sharp Development Solutions Ltd - Trading As SDS College London
16. The City College
17. University Tutorial College

 
REVOKED - as of 12th MARCH 2015

1. 14 Stars (London) Ltd - Trading As European College for Higher Education - Revoked
2. Alpha College - Revoked
3. Alpha Meridian College - Revoked
4. APS Computer Solutions Ltd Trading As Pitman Training Centre Peterborough - Revoked
5. Birmingham Informatics College Ltd - Revoked
6. Birmingham Institute of Education Training and Technology - Revoked
7. Blake Hall College - Revoked
8. Bradford College of Management - Surrendered
9. Bradford Metropolitan College - Revoked
10. Bradford Regional College – Revoked
11. British Institute of Technology & E-Commerce
12. Bristol College of Accountancy - Revoked
13. Britain College - Surrendered
14. CAHRO Academy Ltd - Revoked
15. Central College London (a division of Huawen Institute) - Revoked
16. Central College of Studies (CCS) - Revoked
17. Central Cranbrook College - Revoked
18. Citizen 2000 Education Institute - Revoked
19. City College Nottingham - Revoked
20. City of London Academy - Revoked
21. College of Advanced Studies - Revoked
22. College of East London - Revoked
23. College of Excellence Limited - Revoked
24. Docklands College - Revoked
25. Empress College - Surrendered
26. Essex College Ltd - Revoked
27. Eynsford College - Revoked
28. Forbes Graduate School - Revoked
29. Hammersmith Management College - Revoked
30. Helios International College - Revoked
31. IIM Bedford - Revoked
32. Interlink College of Technology and Business Studies - Revoked
33. Katherine and King's College of London - Revoked
34. Kinnaird College - Revoked
35. LIT LON Ltd - Revoked
36. London Academy of Management and Business (LAMB) - Surrendered
37. London Churchill College - Surrendered
38. London College of Finance and Accounting - Revoked
39. London College of Business Management and Computing Studies -Surrendered
40. London Corporate College - Revoked
41. London Educators Limited - Revoked
42. London Empire Academy - Surrendered
43. London Metropolitan College – Revoked
44. London Premier College Limited - Revoked
45. London Regal College - Revoked
46. London School of Advanced Studies - Revoked
47. London School of Marketing - Trading As LS Business School - Revoked
48. London School of Technology - Revoked
49. London St. Andrew's College - Revoked
50. Manchester College of Management Sciences Limited - Revoked
51. Manchester International College - Revoked
52. Manchester Trinity College Limited - Revoked
53. Midlands Academy of Business and Technology - Revoked
54. North West College Reading - Revoked
55. Pharez UK Ltd Trading As Pharez College - Revoked
56. Queensbury College - Revoked
57. Radcliffe College - Revoked
58. Sanjari International College - Revoked
59. Shakespeare College - Revoked
60. Stanfords College UK Limited - Revoked
61. South London College - Revoked
62. Superior College London - Revoked
63. UK Business Academy - Revoked
64. UK Vocational Training College -Trading As UK College of Arts and Technology- Revoked
65. Vernon Community College - Revoked
66. West George College - Revoked
67. West London Business College Ltd - Revoked

Changes to UK Immigration rules and guidlelines from APRIL 2015

The UKVI (Home Office) will be making numerous changes from APRIL 2015.

Among these changes to take place will be:

*Changing the names of the ratings which sponsors can hold in Tier 4. 'Highly Trusted Sponsor status' will be replaced by 'Tier 4 Sponsor status' and 'A-rated sponsor status' will be replaced by 'Probationary Sponsor status'. This change in terminology better reflects the nature of the ratings held by different Tier 4 sponsors.


*Streamline the existing 15 visitor routes down to four. The changes will help simplify the visitor routes for businesses and leisure travellers, whilst the rebranding of the student visitor route into a short-term student route will make it clearer for people who want to study on short term courses.


*The student visitor (SVV) and extended student visitor routes are being rebranded as short term study routes which will sit in Part 3 of the Immigration Rules alongside other study provisions. The reason for this is to make the system clearer for those whose main purpose for coming to the UK is to study a short course up to six months,or 11 months in the case of adults studying longer English language courses.

*Removing the ability of Tier 1 General migrants to switch into the Tier 1 Entrepreneur route, unless they have already established a UK business before the date of the changes (6 April) and they have the required funding.

*Amending the Shortage Occupation List following a partial review by the independent Migration Advisory Committee. Paramedics, and overhead linesworkers (in the energy industry) will now be included on the list, while special neonatal nurses have been removed.

*Waive the Tier 2 'cooling-off period' for short-term grants of 3 months or less. This will give firms the ability to sponsor interns and bring them back to the UK for a permanent job within a year. This change will also help global firms who need to send some staff to the UK for short periods each year.

*Updating annual minimum salary thresholds for Tier 2 and appropriate salary rates for individual occupations. This is part of salary updates that we make on an annual basis.

These and aseveral other changes and guidlines will be on stream from as early as 6th April 201.

New English Language Test requirements from APRIL 2015

The UKVI (Home Office), recently announced a review on acceptable English Language tests.

There will only be two English Tests that will be acceptable:

1. Trinity College London
2. International English Language Testing System  (IELTS)

This comes into place from 6th April 2015


English Language tests taken before 6th April 2015, will only be valid until 5th November 2015 - but only if the test is listed on the Transitional Approved list.

CLICK HERE to view the Transitional Approved List of English tests.

You are required to check and make sure your English Language test is on the approved Transitional list.

Be advised that many Highly Trusted, Tier 4 registered colleges from now, will be requiring you to show  the approved test from Trinity College London or IELTS  and will not be accepting any other test.

This is their right as individual colleges determine their own admissions policies in addition to the UKVI guidelines and regulations.

It will be in your best interest to update your English Language test.

Click here for the list or approved centres and English language tests and required scoring from 6th April 2015.


You don’t need to prove your knowledge of English if you can show you’re a national of one of the following countries:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• the Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• USA

OR have an academic qualification that was taught in a majority English speaking country and is recognised by UK NARIC as being equivalent to a UK bachelors degree.

UKVI (Home Office) have re-started College suspensions - 2015

Over the December holiday period, the Home Office (UKVI), paused on sending out curtailment letters and processing revocations from all indications.

To date 1st March 2015, there are 21 Colleges listed as being SUSPENDED.

The twenty first college being St. Patrick's International College, who received their suspension for both Tier 4 and Tier 2 licenses on 19th February 2015 for various breaches in Compliance and from the article on Times Higher Education, they have also seemingly breached the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) regulations - click here and here to read more on this breaking story.

This signals that the Home Office (UKVI), have re-started their process on inspecting Tier 4 licensed colleges.

One expects to see further Tier 4 license suspensions and revocations happening shortly.

A reminder as to the colleges still listed as SUSPENDED:  They are currently unable to enrol Tier 4 students or issue CAS Letters.


If you are a student at any of these colleges listed below, we do advise that you start your search now for a registered Highly Trusted Tier 4 provider of your relevant course.  Do not wait until the last moment.  Make sure you have ALL relevant documents from your current school (progression letter, attendance letters, transcripts, recommendations, certificates, etc)

1. 14 Stars (London) Ltd  - Trading As European College for Higher Education
2. Aldgate College
3. Alpha College
4. Apex College
5. Cranford College
6. Essex College of Management and IT Ltd
7. Futures College
8. IIM Bedford
9. London College of Advanced Management
10. London College of Business Management and Information Technology
11. London School of Advanced Studies
12. London School of Business and Accountancy
13. Middlesex College of Law Ltd
14. Newcastle Academy of Business and Technology
15. Opal College
16. Oxford College of London
17. St. Patricks International College (suspended 19th Feb 2015)
18. Sharp Development Solutions Ltd - Trading As SDS College London
19. South London College
20. The City College
21. University Tutorial College

 For advice on applying to genuine Highly Trusted Tier 4 registered colleges click here