Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken an impact assessment on the potential fiscal impact of increases of the (a) immigration health surcharge and (b) student visas on the (i) number of international students, (ii) economy and (iii) higher education sector.

Regulations will be laid in Autumn to amend the Immigration Health Surcharge (Heath Charge) Order and a full economic impact assessment will be prepared.

The expectation of the Government is that migrants coming to the UK to work should be able to maintain and support themselves, reflecting the need to maintain the confidence of the general public that immigration brings benefits to our country.

The Immigration Health Surcharge rates have not increased since 2020, and the cost of providing public services has increased in that time. It is right that we keep the IHS level under review to ensure that it reflects the genuine cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to those who pay it.