This increase will affect all visa pathways subject to IHS fees. When converting from a graduate route to a skilled worker visa, the IHS fee will be the full adult rate of £1,035.
The increase follows a further 20% increase in the cost of priority visas, study visas and sponsorship certificates, which came into effect from October 2023.
PIE spoke to recent graduates about the NHS surcharge and rising application costs for students seeking to enter the UK.
Yash Nag, who graduated from Loughborough University in 2022 and runs mentoring service College Grads while working full-time, explained how international students pay high prices for services they may never use.
“Thank you for that. [have been] All the students who came with political statements about the NHS being overburdened by legal migration. [to the UK]“He said.
“But I think [people] They are forgetting that international students coming to the UK are now paying almost $1,000 in NHS fees and most do not even use these NHS services. “I understand quite a few people aren’t even registered with the NHS, and I think people have forgotten this.”
Nag goes on to highlight the feeling that the government is “to blame for everything.” [international] students” to justify policy changes and fee increases.
This inequity arises from the high cost of education compared to domestic peers. “Our international students are paying three times the tuition fees, so domestic students only pay £92.5 million per year,” he pointed out.
International students pay taxes, IHS, visas and even biometric clearance fees while working, while domestic students have access to public funds for tuition and maintenance fees. “And there is no confirmation of this,” Nag said.
Vicky Fernandes, another recent graduate who spoke to The PIE, said the fee increase was “too high”, especially for students looking to progress quickly from a graduate visa to the Skilled Worker route through a sponsoring company.
The hidden costs of studying in the UK – costs beyond the advertised tuition fees – are compounded by many students suffering from fluctuating exchange rates in their home currency.
The cost of the IELTS language test has also increased significantly in 2023. Test organizer IDP Education reported a 5% decline in testing revenue in India, but reported record numbers of candidates along with record revenue that year.
Additionally, the possibility of visa rejection due to simple administrative errors can result in loss of fees required at the time of application sale.
Nag explained that while students are willing to bear the high application costs to obtain a high-quality education in the UK, the uncertainty around current graduate pathways and the review of salary criteria means the financial commitment is currently too risky. .
“Now we’re a little reluctant, if [post study work] Have the rules changed?”
“You don’t have to look that far,” Nag explained. “My brother is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in India this summer and we are applying to universities in the UK for a September 2024 start.
“Now we’re a little reluctant, if [post study work] Are the rules changing? There are very few policies that can be changed and I believe it is now a very high risk for all students. Especially because if the rules change once you arrive in the UK you may not be able to get your fee back or even return. “Go home right now.”
A 2021 report by Fragomen LLP commissioned by the Royal Society found that the total initial immigration costs in the UK were higher than those in many other countries, including Canada, Germany, France and the US, even at pre-pandemic levels.
Some UK universities have reported sharp declines in international student numbers in their key source markets, with former Universities Secretary Joe Johnson saying some markets are now in “negative growth”.
“All the changes are having a big impact,” he said while speaking to The PIE about policy changes such as the IHS increase. I think we need to make a very clear case to the government that any further changes should wait until the industry can see the full impact of the next recruitment round.”
What are the total administrative costs that students pay to receive a UK education? Do you think this is fair and is contributing to the decline in interest in the UK? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by email. editorial@thepienews.com.