New Tier 2 (ICT) charge this April!

Applicants of the UK’s Tier 2 Intra-company Transfer (ICT) visa category will be subject to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) from April 2017.

The IHS was introduced in April 2015 to cover the health costs of migrants living, working and studying in the UK, and is already payable by many UK immigration applicants.

Previously expected in October 2016 as part of the wider immigration changes, it has been announced that this immigration fee will apply to all Tier 2 (ICT) applications as of early April this year.

Applicants will be charged £200 per valid visa year at the time of application, with any dependants being charged the same amount. Should their application for a Tier 2 (ICT) visa be rejected, the applicant will receive a full refund of all IHS costs paid.

For UK employers covering the immigration costs for their non-EEA employees, this will be yet another strain on their recruitment budget.

Although this new charge does not come as a surprise, the subjection of Tier 2 ICT applicants to the IHS will add to immigration costs which already experienced various increases in November 2016.

UK employers are advised to look ahead at their immediate recruiting needs and to submit any applications for Tier 2 (ICT) hires ahead of the April deadline.