Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Deferred
Paragraph: 87
Upfront immigration health surcharge unaffordable for some Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders.
Conclusion
We accept the principle that individuals who benefit from immigration should contribute towards the costs of essential UK services and we also welcome the fact that, when designing this visa route, the Government set out to increase its accessibility by setting a low fee for the applicant. However we are concerned that the upfront nature and scale of the immigration health surcharge will not be affordable for some BN(O) visa holders and particularly for young people. The Home Secretary has described the route as a proportionate response to a specific situation: we therefore recommend that, as a proportionate further step, the Government introduce either a means-tested fee waiver for Hong Kongers to whom the cost is a significant barrier to protection or flexibilities around delayed or reduced payment where appropriate.
Government Response Summary
The government did not address the recommendation for a means-tested fee waiver or payment flexibilities for the immigration health surcharge, instead stating caseworkers receive training and will get regular updates on the situation in Hong Kong.
Paragraph Reference:
87
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
12. BN(O) route applications are already considered and processed by a dedicated casework team who have received specific training on the BN(O) route as well as the situation in Hong Kong. We agree with the recommendation to ensure caseworkers receive regular updates on the situation in Hong Kong to enable them to make informed decisions.