Early career researchers are already considering leaving the UK over “excessive” and “unfair” increases to health surcharges and visa fees due to be confirmed this autumn, scientists have warned.
Under plans announced by Rishi Sunak in July, the annual immigration health surcharge will increase from £624 to £1,035 for main applicants, and to £776 for child dependants from this autumn, while visa fees will rise by 15 per cent.
At present, the total cost for an international researcher applying for a five-year visa, who is bringing a partner and two children, is £15,880, according to Universities UK (UUK), of which £10,940 relates to the immigration health surcharge (IHS).
That would increase to £23,791 following autumn’s price hikes, and £18,110 for the health surcharge alone when Mr Sunak’s plans are enacted – equating to about £4,700 a year, or about 14 per cent of the pre-tax annual salary of a postdoc on £35,000.
