The United Kingdom has announced an increase in visa application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for Nigerians and other foreign nationals entering the country.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the announcement, stating that the fee hikes were necessary to offset the recently approved pay raises for public sector workers.
Sunak emphasized that the funds needed to come from alternative sources and explained, “The first is, we are going to increase the charges that we have for migrants who are coming to this country when they apply for visas and indeed something called the immigration health surcharge (IHS), which is the levy that they pay to access the NHS.”
The visa application fees will rise significantly, along with a 15 percent increase in the cost of work and visit visas. Study visas, certificates of sponsorship, wide entry clearance, leave-to-remain and priority visas, and others will experience at least a 20 percent increase.
The IHS, paid as part of the visa application, will be raised to £1,035. While the government argues that the pay rises for public sector workers necessitate these fee increases, some social media users criticize the move, asserting that raising application fees is not a sustainable solution.
They argue that the financial burden on foreigners studying and working in the UK could have negative consequences, with potential implications for the country’s universities and overall competitiveness.
