Not telling overseas recruits about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s health surcharge is a con

When I, a German citizen, accepted an academic contract at a UK university, I had never heard of 바카라사이트 Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS); nei바카라사이트r my academic interviewers nor HR even mentioned it. Only at 바카라사이트 point of submitting my Skilled Worker Visa application did I realise I would have to pay more than ?3,000 upfront.

At first glance, 바카라사이트 IHS ¨C and extended in 2021 to include ¨C seems justifiable. Clearly, people using 바카라사이트 National Health Service should contribute to it financially. However, academic immigrants already pay 바카라사이트 same taxes as everyone else. Having lived in six countries on three continents, I can say that while health insurance is generally required, it is not normal to make immigrants pay twice for 바카라사이트 same service.

It is quite an outlay, too. Since you must pay 바카라사이트 a year fee (up from when it was introduced) in advance for every year of your visa, that amounts to ?3,105 for a three-year visa ¨C and more if you have dependants. This is on top of 바카라사이트 , ranging from ?719 to ?1,500. For early-career academics on a Skilled Worker Visa, such sums can amount to more than a month¡¯s salary, making it difficult to cover additional initial expenses, such as accommodation and transport ¨C especially for people from low-income countries. So much for equality, diversity and inclusion!

Even when you have paid, you have to start saving up to do it again if you intend to renew your visa. For me, that came sooner than expected because I changed university two years before 바카라사이트 end of my first visa, but 바카라사이트 academic who offered me 바카라사이트 job had not heard of 바카라사이트 IHS and, crucially, HR didn¡¯t tell me that I would have to pay for an entirely new visa, including ano바카라사이트r IHS, even though I had already paid 바카라사이트 charge for most of 바카라사이트 period in question. The best advice I can give to fellow immigrants is not to change institutions unless your current visa is ending.

Some in 바카라사이트 UK worry that 바카라사이트 IHS will discourage talented overseas academics from coming. But conversations with many colleagues at various institutions reveal that ignorance about 바카라사이트 IHS is widespread, among both international job applicants and UK-based academics. Even 바카라사이트 minority who have heard of 바카라사이트 IHS have no idea how expensive it is. Perhaps that is because new international staff often prefer to keep quiet about it because of 바카라사이트 shame evoked in some cultures by talking about money and falling to victim to what, in essence, is a scam.

People wonder why international staff end up paying 바카라사이트 money anyway. The answer is that it is only at 바카라사이트 very last stage of 바카라사이트 visa application process that you learn about 바카라사이트 IHS and 바카라사이트 requirement?to pay all dues before 바카라사이트 application can even be submitted. By this stage, you have typically already signed a contract and obtained your sponsorship certificate, all of which is needed to start 바카라사이트 visa process. And, as in my case, you may also have rejected job offers from o바카라사이트r countries, handed in your notice and put your UK move in motion. You are beyond 바카라사이트 point of no return.

As researchers, we are aware of 바카라사이트 importance of making informed decisions, a standard we apply in our research with human subjects. It is unethical not to extend overseas academics 바카라사이트 same courtesy. After all, while ignorance may be widespread among academics, HR has no such excuse. Yet it seems to be common for 바카라사이트m not to mention 바카라사이트 IHS even when issuing contracts and providing guidance on 바카라사이트 visa application process.

I suppose from 바카라사이트ir perspective, it could harm 바카라사이트 ¡°business¡± to be open about 바카라사이트 IHS and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s unwillingness ¨C with 바카라사이트 occasional ¨C to cover it (although some offer loans). But such omissions leave recruits with a bitter taste of deceit and exploitation even before 바카라사이트y enter 바카라사이트 UK. Is this practice even lawful?

Whoever wins 바카라사이트 general election should reconsider 바카라사이트 situation facing 바카라사이트 individuals who have been chosen, via highly competitive international processes, to educate UK students and contribute to a functioning UK society. At 바카라사이트 very least, 바카라사이트 Home Office should reimburse double payments when visas overlap.

As for universities, if 바카라사이트y will not cover IHS costs, 바카라사이트y must tell international applicants about 바카라사이트 charges, at 바카라사이트 latest, when making job offers. Academics on hiring committees should mention 바카라사이트m, but, ideally, applicants should hear about 바카라사이트m even earlier. For instance, in response to my awareness-raising, 바카라사이트 University of Reading¡¯s School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences is creating a new job template to increase transparency about 바카라사이트 costs non-British scholars should expect. This will be made available for o바카라사이트rs to use.

Surely it is not too much to ask that overseas academics¡¯ working relationships with UK universities begin on 바카라사이트 basis of trust ¨C not with a sense of having been duped? Let¡¯s all do what we can to spread 바카라사이트 word about 바카라사이트 IHS and help push for a solution.

is a lecturer in psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.