IHS fee for children - online application issue

Hi all,

I am on a Tier 2 visa since 15-Jan-2014. My visa expires on 14-Oct-2016. My daughter was born in India in May this year and came to U.K. on 23-Aug-2016 on my dependent visa. I am now applying for an extension along with my wife and daughter.

1. We didn't have to pay any health surcharge for my daughter when she applied from India. The health surcharge calculator says that we dont have to pay anything for her either: https://www.immigration-health-surcharg ... ecker/type. However, now that I am completing my application - it says I will have to pay £500 for my 4 months old daughter! Is this correct?

2. Should we use my daughter's old IHS number in this application or is it 1 new number which we will be allocated after paying £500x3 = £1500? Or can we add 2 different IHS numbers?

3. There isnt any way to go back and check my answers on online application. What is the answer for "Are you under 18 and under a local authority?". I think the answer for my daughter should be yes - and I think that is what I entered as well!

My wife and I havent paid the health surcharge before - as we applied for Tier 2 before the IHS fee was introduced. It is sad that we will have to pay too..

Can someone please clarify if a 4 month child has to pay the health surcharge?

Kind regards,
B

1. yes correct you have to pay IHS for you daughter

2. no you need to pay and get a new reference

3. the answer is no unless she is not in your care but in the care of the local government (eg in foster care)

1. We didn't have to pay any health surcharge for my daughter when she applied from India. The health surcharge calculator says that we dont have to pay anything for her either: https://www.immigration-health-surcharg ... ecker/type. However, now that I am completing my application - it says I will have to pay £500 for my 4 months old daughter! Is this correct?

It needs to be paid yes.

2. Should we use my daughter's old IHS number in this application or is it 1 new number which we will be allocated after paying £500x3 = £1500? Or can we add 2 different IHS numbers?

You need a new number for each applicant.

3. There isnt any way to go back and check my answers on online application. What is the answer for "Are you under 18 and under a local authority?". I think the answer for my daughter should be yes - and I think that is what I entered as well!

No! She is not in the care of the local authority (ie social services).

Thank you so much CR001 and Greenie for confirming that I will have to pay health surcharge for my 4 months old daughter. I dont know why that was not required when she applied from India..

I didnt quite get that care of the local government is foster care / social services. Thanks for explaining.

I dont think I can go back and see what I answered now - but it doesnt matter as you both have confirmed that the fees the system has calculated is correct.

I deeply appreciate your prompt replies and all the immense help I have received on this forum over past few years.

Many thanks,
B

you didn't need to pay before because your daughter was applying for a visa for less than 6 months but that also means she is not entitled to free healthcare during the period and would be liable to pay overseas visitors fees healthcare .

also a child in local authority care does not need go pay the health surcharge so if you have paid for you daughter's IHS number then you must have answered this question correctly

Thanks Greenie. I now understand why I didnt have to pay for 1st time.

Glad to know that I must have answered that question correctly somehow!

I have registered my daughter with GP - have given her required vaccinations in UK - and also had a health visitor 2 weeks back. I hope this doesnt mean that I will have to pay any fees to NHS later - or that UKVI takes this negatively.

I have just completed by application!

Many thanks and best wishes,
B

dont worry, she has nothing to pay

iworker wrote:dont worry, she has nothing to pay

This is not correct. They do have to pay. From 6 April 2015, the NHS is no longer free to all those who reside legally in the UK. It changed under the Immigration Act 2014.

If he is on a Tier 2 General visa and his daughter's visa was for less then 6 minths, then they pay for her if she uses the NHS.This is clearly stated on the UK government's site.


"Visitor visas and short-term visas

You don’t have to pay the healthcare surcharge if you’re applying from outside the UK for a visitor visa or any visa that lasts 6 months or less.

You don’t need to use the healthcare surcharge service or get an IHS reference number for your visa application. Instead, you’ll have to pay for any healthcare you get through the NHS at the point you use it".

https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigrati ... n/overview



Now that they are applying for a visa of more than 6 months for their baby, they pay the IHS for her and then they don't have to pay anything for her to use the NHS.


Soon those on the ICT visa will pay the IHS too to get free NHS

That is really very worrying if correct.

Dont know if I have to become an immigration lawyer or something in order to stay in UK. How on earth will I come to know if I have to pay or not! No one in GP informed me about any fees. Is a bill waiting for me somewhere!?

The visa saga doesnt seem to be straightforward anytime whatsoever I try and do!

bsc2007 wrote:Hi all,

I am on a Tier 2 visa since 15-Jan-2014. My visa expires on 14-Oct-2016. My daughter was born in India in May this year and came to U.K. on 23-Aug-2016 on my dependent visa.

2. Should we use my daughter's old IHS number

What did you put on her application to get an IHS number for her, when her visa was for less than 6 months???

Are you on a Tier 2 ICT visa or Tier 2 General?

bsc2007 wrote: Dont know if I have to become an immigration lawyer or something in order to stay in UK. How on earth will I come to know if I have to pay or not! No one in GP informed me about any fees. Is a bill waiting for me somewhere!?

If you showed her IHS number then that means they don't bill. The question is, should you had had an IHS number for her?

If she wasn't allowed to use the NHS for free, then you will need to ask for a bill.

bsc2007 wrote: The visa saga doesnt seem to be straightforward anytime whatsoever I try and do!

Can you confirm if you are on an ICT visa or General. There is (soon to end) an exemption to pay for the IHS for the ICTs and their dependants, but I don't know if that extends to visas for under 6 months???

When the UK ended giving free NHS to everyone who was legally in the UK from 6 April 2015, I read what NHS England was adding to and taking off their list of who they would give free NHS too. They had added "under 18 an in the care of a local authority" for free NHS. Did you tick that in error when you applied for your babies visa from India?



Under these April 2015 NHS changes, If your wife had a valid visa (such as your dependant) to be in the UK and gave birth in the UK, then your baby would have received 4 months of free NHS, as long as they didn't leave the UK and return. I have put that link on this board before.

That then gives the parents 4 months to get a visa and an IHS number for their baby. Although I understand from reading here that they don't have to get a visa for the baby if they aren't leaving the UK and this would mean that after 4 months, they would neeed to buy full health insurance as they have to pay for their baby to use the NHS after that and those bills could run into thousands of pounds

I am guessing (others on her will know bettter) that your error if you ticked a wrong box to get an free IHS number, won't be seen as a big deal if you pay for what your child had from the NHS, show that receipt and explain you didn't understand before??? Others on here have said they claimed pubic funds in error, usually Child Benefit, paid it back and dot a receipt for that before they extended their visas and claimed they had no problems. I'll wait for others to comment on this.

Petaltop wrote: Under these April 2015 NHS changes, If your wife had a valid visa (such as your dependant) to be in the UK and gave birth in the UK, then your baby would have received 4 months of free NHS, as long as they didn't leave the UK and return. I have put that link on this board before.

I'm correcting that "4 months" to 3 months and that the mother must be exempt from charges.

Page 43
5.15.

"A child born to a person who is exempt from charges under Regulation 10 or 11 will
also be exempt from charges while they are aged three months or younger provided that the
child has not left the UK since birth. Parents should ensure that they regularise their child’s
immigration status in the UK during this three-month period, which may include the parent
paying the surcharge on their child’s behalf. If the parent does not regularise their child’s
status, they will be liable for any charges for treatment provided to the child after the three-
month period."

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... g_accs.pdf

Thank you so much Petaltop. I am on a Tier 2 General visa - not ICT.

I have seen my daughter's previous application printout. There was no question about being under local authority when I applied for visa from India.

What do you think I should do? Wait and watch if something happens?

Many thanks,
Bhushan