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<ul><li>The UK Budget tabled by Indian-origin Finance Minister <keyword id="221875" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rishi-Sunak">Rishi Sunak</keyword> is set to make the cost of long-term visas to Britain higher.</li><li>The hike was expected as it was in the December 2019 General Election manifesto of the Boris Johnson-led government, but its timing is now confirmed as this year. </li><li>Sunak announced that the <keyword id="50403" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Immigration">Immigration</keyword> Health Surcharge (IHS) would be hiked from 400 pounds to 624 pounds. </li></ul> The UK Budget tabled by Indian-origin Finance Minister Rishi Sunak is set to make the cost of long-term visas to Britain higher with a major hike in the compulsory health fee charged on migrants from countries, including India. Sunak, born in the UK to a general practitioner father and pharmacist mother, announced that the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) would be hiked from 400 pounds to 624 pounds. "Migrants benefit from our NHS (National Health Service). And we all want them to do so - but it's right that what people get out, they also put in," the 39-year-old Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his Budget statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday. "There is a surcharge already, but it doesn't properly reflect the benefits people receive. So, as we promised in our manifesto, we are increasing the Immigration Health Surcharge to 624 pounds, with a discounted rate for children," he said. The hike was expected as it was in the December 2019 General Election manifesto of the Boris Johnson-led government, but its timing is now confirmed as this year. A new discounted rate of 470 pounds has been incorporated for children aged under 18, but the lower rate for international students is also set for a rise -- from 300 pounds to 470 pounds. The IHS was introduced in April 2015 and from December 2018 it was hiked from 200 pounds to 400 pounds per year. It is imposed on anyone in the UK on a work, study or family visa for longer than six months in order to raise additional funds for the country's state-funded NHS. The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), the UK's largest representative body for Indian-origin doctors, has been lobbying the UK Home Office for a rethink over the charge as it would have an adverse impact on their attempt to recruit more healthcare professionals from India to meet staff shortages in the NHS. Indian industry warned that the further hike would mean an added burden on already high visa fees. "The increase in the health surcharge to 620 pounds will add to the already expensive visa fees for overseas skilled workers. This will be an additional burden on Indian businesses operating in the UK," said Baroness Usha Prashar, Chair of the UK Council of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). FICCI described the overall Budget as a "balanced and pragmatic" one against the backdrop of the global outbreak of COVID-19. "Increased investment in R&amp;D (Research and Development) to 22 billion pounds a year and the announcement of 130 million pounds of new funding to extend Startup Loans will give a major boost to innovation and entrepreneurship," Prashar said. Referring to the Bank of England's decision to cut interest rates, Loknath Mishra, Chair of the Financial Services Committee of FICCI's UK Council and MD and CEO of ICICI Bank UK Plc, said it was a "timely and proportionate response" to the current crisis posed by the coronavirus crisis. "This announcement will support businesses in these turbulent times to manage their credit flows and better manage their cash flows," he said. The Bank of England cut its key interest rate by 0.5 per cent to 0.25 per cent on Wednesday, as an emergency measure in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/uk-new-finance-minister-rishi-sonak-son-in-law-of-infosys-narayana-murthy/articleshow/74129644.cms">Britain’s new FM Rishi Sunak is a ‘first generation immigrant’ with family ties to Narayana Murthy, a doyen of Indian IT</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/good-news-for-indian-students-in-the-uk-as-government-will-now-grant-them-2-year-work-visa/articleshow/71077488.cms">Good news for Indian students in the UK, as government will now grant them 2-year work visa</a>

Rishi Sunak makes UK visas costlier by 224 pounds in his Budget

<ul><li>The cost for studying in the US has gone up by Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh per year.</li><li>Indian students abroad are also facing problems in finding accommodation. </li><li><keyword id="87" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="germany" source="Orion">Germany</keyword>, Spain, France, <keyword id="6359079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="portugal" source="Orion">Portugal</keyword> and the UAE have emerged as the preferential places to <keyword id="68134" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="study-abroad" source="Orion">study abroad</keyword>.</li></ul> Studying abroad has become costlier amid a sharp fall in rupee. The cost for studying in the US has gone up by Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh per year. The increase in tuition fees in the US, the UK and <keyword id="6355478" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="australia" source="Orion">Australia</keyword> by 10 to 20 per cent is another reason behind the costlier education abroad. Also, the airfares have increased in recent times, which has added burden on students studying abroad. Adding to the woes, the visas of lakhs of Indian students have not been approved in countries like the US, the UK, <keyword id="6356687" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="canada" source="Orion">Canada</keyword> and Australia. There are long delays in getting student visas while at the same time those students, whose visas have been approved, are facing inflation due to rupee depreciation. Indian students abroad are also facing problems in finding accommodation due to the increase in the prices of hostels and homestays. Germany seems to be reaping the benefits due to this delay in the approval of student visas by other countries. According to a recent report by the <keyword id="432632" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="german-academic-exchange-service" source="Orion">German Academic Exchange Service</keyword> (DAAD), the number of Indian students studying in Germany increased from 17,570 in 2017 to 34,134 in 2021. Actually, education is subsidised by the German government. All international students studying in state-funded universities in Germany do not have to pay tuition fees. This is one of the biggest benefits for the international students in Germany and a major relief for Indian students amid the costlier education in other popular countries. Although various courses are available at low cost to Indian students in countries like Germany, the students do not change their preferences easily. <keyword id="2733148" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sumeet-jain" source="Orion">Sumeet Jain</keyword>, co-founder, <keyword id="4136682" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="yocket" source="Orion">Yocket</keyword>, a community-based platform for overseas studies, said, "Due to the rupee depreciation, the average additional cost to study in the US has gone up by Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh per year. Despite this, the students do not make decisions without comprehensively evaluating various aspects. Some students, who want to pursue post research, for them there is no point in moving to other countries. While many students keep their options open. Students prefer the US for <keyword id="435553" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="stem" source="Orion">STEM</keyword> courses while for non-STEM courses they opt for the UK and Australia. Experts believe that the continued delays in visas have jeopardised the competitiveness of popular places of study. While earlier countries like the US, the UK, Australia and Canada were the first choice of the students, now Germany, Spain, France, Portugal and the UAE have emerged as the preferential places to study abroad. Significantly, the Covid-19 pandemic has proved to be a major obstacle for students who wish to pursue higher education abroad. In the US and some European countries, students are getting a waiting period of one to two years for visas. This simply means that an Indian student enrolling in a US university will be able to get a US visa after one or two years. According to industry experts, the number of Indian students moving to countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand stood at around 10 lakh in early 2022, almost double the levels before the pandemic. Similarly, the number of visa applications has increased much more than before, due to which now there is a delay in the visa approval. S. Ghosh, a student from Kolkata, said it is taking around 440 days to get a visa. SEE ALSO:

Falling rupee makes studying abroad costlier

<ul><li>UK <keyword id="6414213" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Visas">visas</keyword> just became costlier for Indians as well as several non-EU migrants, as the <keyword id="58859" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="British-government">British government</keyword> has doubled a surcharge to access its public health care system. </li><li>The current health care surcharge for a regular migrant is £200 a year, which has been raised to £400 a year under the new scheme. </li><li>For students under the Youth Mobility Scheme (Tier 5 visa), the IHS has been increased from £150 to £300. </li><li>The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) has opposed the move calling it ‘unfair and discriminatory.’</li></ul>All UK visas with a validity of over six months are about to cost a lot more for Indians as well as non-EU migrants, following a decision by the British government to double<a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2019/jan/07/uk-visa-to-be-expensive-for-indian-applicants-from-january-8-1921851.html"> the mandatory </a>‘Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).’ The health ‘surcharge’, which was rolled out in 2015, allows students and temporary workers to access the country’s subsidised public health care program, the National Health Service (NHS), during their stay, and is payable while submitting visa applications. The surcharge, however, won’t be due for migrants who have attained permanent residency. Currently, the surcharge for a regular migrant is £200 a year, which has been raised to £400 a year. While for student visas under the Youth Mobility Scheme (Tier-5 visa), the same surcharge has been increased from £150 to £300. On an average, the cost for a general or family visa is nearly £92, while for a long-term visa may cost nearly £821, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-visa-guide-for-indiansknow-it-all/as46621531.cms">according to</a> Times of India. The British immigration office has said that the <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/uk-visas-set-to-turn-costlier-for-indian-non-eu-migrants-from-january-8">increased surcharge</a> will prompt employers to hire ‘domestic’ workers before considering outside working professionals. It has argued that it is fair that immigrants pay extra to access its National Health Services program. The UK is also<a href="https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/uk-visas-set-to-turn-costlier-for-indian-non-eu-migrants-from-january-8"> reportedly planning</a> to tighten immigration rules further, allowing immigration based only on skills and not nationality. According to <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/uk-visas-to-be-costlier-for-indian-non-eu-migrants-from-tomorrow/story-koTEupOOToB6ovB303sgaN.html">reports</a>, the hike was approved despite some misgivings from the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), which has called the move ‘unfair and discriminatory.’ With this move, the UK becomes the latest country in the West to clamp down on immigration. The US President Donald Trump has also sought stricter screening for US visas. Two years ago, Australia also rehauled its immigration program, cutting the duration on its temporary work visas by two years. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-deports-american-journalist-who-was-making-an-environmental-documentary-on-a-controversial-copper-smelter-plant/articleshow/67362130.cms">India deports American journalist who was making an environmental documentary on a controversial copper smelter plant</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/eliminating-country-quotas-will-make-path-to-the-permanent-residency-easier-for-indians-us-congressional-report/articleshow/67361429.cms">Eliminating country quotas will make path to the permanent residency easier for Indians: US Congressional report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/myanmar-introduces-visa-on-arrival-for-indian-travellers/articleshow/67056366.cms">Myanmar introduces ‘visa-on-arrival’ for Indian travellers</a>

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Rishi Sunak makes UK visas costlier by 224 pounds in his Budget

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Falling rupee makes studying abroad costlier

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Indians seeking UK visa will now have to shell out a lot more

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