From 1 February 2022 the Immigration Health (NHS) Surcharge for Skilled Worker and Tier 5 main applicants will now be calculated based on the length of their visa instead of the length of their Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), which may mean some are charged higher fees.
When a Skilled Worker or Tier 5 visa is issued it is normally valid for a longer period than the applicant's CoS, with a 'valid from' date on or around the date the applicant stated they wanted to arrive in the UK and an expiry date up to 14 days after the CoS end date. Previously as main applicant's NHS surcharge was calculated based on the length of their CoS instead of their visa this meant that they often paid slightly lower fees than their family members whose NHS surcharge was based on their visa length.
We have updated our CoS application forms to highlight that higher NHS Surcharge fees may apply but as there are a number of issues which can affect the length of visa issued we recommend that applicants read the Home Office's guidance and use their Immigration Health (NHS) Surcharge calculator to check the actual fees they will have to pay for their and their family's applications.
As NHS surcharge fees are significant, this should be discussed early in the process of preparing a CoS application form to submit to the Staff Immigration Team so that the applicant is aware of these fees and is clear about the length of visa they wish to apply for.
