# Fiancé visa and IHS



## Leoforus (Apr 9, 2015)

Having exactly the same issue - my fiance submitted her application and went to the application processing centre in Rio De Janeiro. They told her that she was missing the Health Surcharge registration and that she had a week to go and register and email the central processing centre in Bogota with the details.

I also note that the government website here (https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/when-you-need-to-pay) says:

For visa applications made outside the UK, you’ll have to pay if:

you’re a national of a country outside the European Economic Area
you’re applying for a visa to work, study or join your family in the UK for more than 6 months (but you’re not applying to permanently remain in the UK)
you’ve applied and paid your visa fee on or after 6 April 2015

I assume these are AND conditions and therefore a fiance visa, being only 6 months, does not count.

So we assumed that maybe we needed to register anyhow and it would then tell us that we didnt need to pay, get a registration number for free, and all done..

However then the fun began: we signed up with her email address - the password wouldnt work, no password reset emails are ever received. Then we tried my email address - no registration email received.

Eventually I tried my work email address and managed to register and the password worked - so we started going through the details. Type of visa Settlement. Sub-type of visa - wait, no option for marriage or fiance! The only closest option is 'unmarried partner' which I am sure is for someone seeking a 3-year visa having lived in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years.

Any option we tried always demanded payment of $962!!

We are panicking a bit since the website itself claims if you dont do this within 7 days, then the visa process is automatically cancelled... we are sending an email to Bogota but this whole process is terrible with some of the worst IT infrastructure I have ever experienced!!


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## Leoforus (Apr 9, 2015)

Just to add she is non-EEA national BUT its only for the fiance visa to come here and get married and therefore only 6 months long...


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## Leoforus (Apr 9, 2015)

Ok so surprisingly a bogota person has replied to her email saying "If you are going to the UK just 6 months you don’t need to pay or register in the IHS website."

However, just to be clear - we have applied for a Settlement/Settlement/Marriage visa for her to come here and get married and then apply for FLR/M

Is this "fiance visa" only 6 months long and therefore excluded from the Health Surcharge even for a non-EEA national?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

Please don't hijack other people's threads when your situation is completely different. You are not having exactly the same issue. The OP is applying for an EEA Family Permit. Not a fiancé visa.


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## Leoforus (Apr 9, 2015)

Apologies that was my mistake - in my urgency misread his case - will move it my own one and would appreciate any input. Edit: if any mod can delete my postings here it would be appreciated.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

I will move your posts to a new thread.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

Settlement, settlement, marriage is a fiancé visa (it's how we refer to it) and you are not required to pay the NHS Surcharge.


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## Leoforus (Apr 9, 2015)

Understood but how should we treat this "Health Surcharge" letter she was given at the application centre telling her that she still had to register and make payment to the extent necessary and then email the Bogota visa office?

I was hoping that upon registering there would be an option Settlement -> Marriage which would then give a confirmation but not require payment - however there is no such Marriage option and every other option requests payment.

Should we just ignore this letter? (which I am always fearful of then getting a rejected visa!)


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Ignorance of rules among VAC staff is astonishing but not really surprising. When you eventually get your visa (without paying unnecessary IHS), lodge a complaint to UKVI about the conduct of particular VAC so others will be spared your agony.


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## Ain (Aug 8, 2014)

I have posted another thread here and I was asked to pay it by UKVI staff in a Consulate (not even VAC!) although I applied for Fiancée Visa!

@Leoforus could you please advise what was the outcome of your case? Ver, very much appreciate it!

Thanks a lot!


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

The poster 's fiancé got her visa.


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## Ain (Aug 8, 2014)

Great  thanks for answer Nyclon! 
One last question which is very important: did they pay IHS as part of Fiance Visa?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

IHS isn't required for fiancé(e) visa, which is only valid for 6 months.


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## Ain (Aug 8, 2014)

I know Joppa, thanks 
But if you could answer my post directly: did they pay it and then were refunded or they didn't pay it? 
I have almost the same situation (see my thread) and I can't sleep now and scratching any possible information about it


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## Leoforus (Apr 9, 2015)

Hi Ain,

As Nyclon stated, we entrusted the excellent advice we received and did NOT pay the IHS surcharge since it was a 6-month marriage visa being applied for only.

My fiance received her visa without further mention of this.

Good luck!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

IHS isn't required for fiancé(e) visa, full stop. If an ignorant VAC staff member makes you pay, stand your ground and refuse to be intimidated. Your visa application will go through.


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## Ain (Aug 8, 2014)

Thank you @Leoforus @Joppa and @Nyclon


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## Ain (Aug 8, 2014)

Ain said:


> Thank you @Leoforus @Joppa and @Nyclon


Hey guys! Just wanted to update I've got the visa  !!!!!!!


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