# Ihs surcharge and spouse visa fees



## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

Last time when i applied for my wife i was charged £641 for ihs charge and 1336 for the application why is this? i thought the fees was £1195 + £ 500?


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## AuroraSkye (Feb 11, 2016)

Are you sure the 641 and 1336 were in british pounds and not converted from another currency? Also, when the system puts the visa prices in at the time of applying, it sometimes doesn't line up to what we know the costs are in pounds since the applicant isn't applying in the UK, could be more or less I think. Or bank is charging for currency exchange fees? Just listing the possibilities.

Spouse Visa - £1195, IHS - £600 (visa is 33 months) and Priority - £450

FLR (M) - £811, IHS - £500 (visa is for 30 months) and Premium - £500


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## Water Dragon (Jun 28, 2011)

Asad1232009 said:


> Last time when i applied for my wife i was charged £641 for ihs charge and 1336 for the application why is this? i thought the fees was £1195 + £ 500?


Fees were increased this spring. They usually do it every April.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

AuroraSkye said:


> Are you sure the 641 and 1336 were in british pounds and not converted from another currency? Also, when the system puts the visa prices in at the time of applying, it sometimes doesn't line up to what we know the costs are in pounds since the applicant isn't applying in the UK, could be more or less I think. Or bank is charging for currency exchange fees? Just listing the possibilities.
> 
> Spouse Visa - £1195, IHS - £600 (visa is 33 months) and Priority - £450
> 
> FLR (M) - £811, IHS - £500 (visa is for 30 months) and Premium - £500


yes i was charged in pakistani rupees
but thats how much they took out from my account. when re applying how do i avoid paying the extra charges? i choose on visa4uk apply for myself should i choose apply for someone else?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

It's not an extra charge. It's due to the exchange rate. If you paid with a UK credit card then it's down to the exchange rate charged by your bank to convert rupees into pounds.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

nyclon said:


> It's not an extra charge. It's due to the exchange rate. If you paid with a UK credit card then it's down to the exchange rate charged by your bank to convert rupees into pounds.


Thank you. how can i avoid the charge. i dont want the money to be converted in to rupees do you know how i could avoid doing that


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

The money isn't converted into rupees. Since the applicant is from Pakistan the application fee and IHS charge are in rupees. In order to be charged to your UK account the rupee charges are converted into pounds at whatever exchange rate they are using. The only way to avoid an adverse exchange rate is to pay with a rupee credit card.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

nyclon said:


> The money isn't converted into rupees. Since the applicant is from Pakistan the application fee and IHS charge are in rupees. In order to be charged to your UK account the rupee charges are converted into pounds at whatever exchange rate they are using. The only way to avoid an adverse exchange rate is to pay with a rupee credit card.


Thank you you have been very helpful


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## Princess86 (Apr 29, 2015)

Or you can ask your spouse in the UK to pay using their UK credit card and you can then avoid the whole exchange rate conversion.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

Princess86 said:


> Or you can ask your spouse in the UK to pay using their UK credit card and you can then avoid the whole exchange rate conversion.


Thank you im the sponser but i dont have a credit card


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## Water Dragon (Jun 28, 2011)

Asad1232009 said:


> Thank you im the sponser but i dont have a credit card


If you have the money in your bank account, a debit card can also be used. It might require notifying the bank due to the large amount, but is acceptable for payment.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

Water Dragon said:


> If you have the money in your bank account, a debit card can also be used. It might require notifying the bank due to the large amount, but is acceptable for payment.


Thank you that is what i done before but i was charged over 175 in exchange rate


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## Water Dragon (Jun 28, 2011)

Asad1232009 said:


> Thank you that is what i done before but i was charged over 175 in exchange rate


If you're the sponsor, in the UK, with an UK bank account, paying fees to UKBI, I don't understand why rupees or conversion rates are involved?


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

Water Dragon said:


> If you're the sponsor, in the UK, with an UK bank account, paying fees to UKBI, I don't understand why rupees or conversion rates are involved?


i dont know why this happend. when applying it was instantly converted into rupees i want to pay it in uk pounds as the other way i was paying way more than i needed to


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

I would think because the applicant is applying from Pakistan the application fee would be taken in local currency. If you pay from a rupee account you would be charged the rupee amount. If you pay from a UK account, the rupee fee will be converted into pounds and whatever exchange rate the bank is using on that day which probably isn't that great of a rate. I could be wrong.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

nyclon said:


> I would think because the applicant is applying from Pakistan the application fee would be taken in local currency. If you pay from a rupee account you would be charged the rupee amount. If you pay from a UK account, the rupee fee will be converted into pounds and whatever exchange rate the bank is using on that day which probably isn't that great of a rate. I could be wrong.


fors the ihs charge it was £641 and the application £1331 thats crazy for exchange rates. if i went under apply for someone else would that help?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

I don't think it matters. It has to do with where you apply


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

nyclon said:


> I don't think it matters. It has to do with where you apply


Thank you


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

*Visa4uk Fees*

i am trying to pay for the application fees however they are asking for 191,200 pkr fees which is £1385 instead of £1195 and ihs surcharge of £665 instead of £600 ( i thought the ihs surcharge for 2.5 years was £500. how can i save on that and this is just the currency conversion not including exchange rate and non sterling ontop. thats £200 over and still not included the other fees

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## Anxious_ (Mar 23, 2016)

My charges were also different than the Gov website said simply because they charged me in USD instead of GBP, so its probably the exchange rate


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

Anxious_ said:


> My charges were also different than the Gov website said simply because they charged me in USD instead of GBP, so its probably the exchange rate


i understand the rate is applied after the application is paid for but it seems to be a fixed amount. i can not understand how they worked it out due to the poind falling the pkr rate is much less that means even before the fees are taken im paying an extra £400. is there any way i can pay in gb pounds?

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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

I have merged your threads. Please don't open a new thread when you already have an open thread on the same topic. 

No, you can't pay in pounds. 

Unfortunately, when they set the charge in rupees the pound was much higher. Until they reset the exchange rate you will unfortunately be charged more in pounds.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

is there a way to split tbe payment?

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## i.need.help (Nov 20, 2014)

You've already been told a few times, the only way to save and not pay the exchange rate is to pay the fees using a Pakistani debit or credit card. 

£400 is a lot to be paying for no reason.


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## Asad1232009 (Jan 8, 2015)

i have used a credit card. the exchange rate for the integrated fees was really high if i didn't use my credit card it would have been £400 extra. i had a £2000 limit and i couldnt pay it at on that credit card. Thanks for your advice

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## curiosity (Aug 25, 2014)

Princess86 said:


> Or you can ask your spouse in the UK to pay using their UK credit card and you can then avoid the whole exchange rate conversion.


This is not true. You end up paying the conversion charges if using a UK Bank A/C whether you pay with a debit card, credit card or net banking.


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