mmigration Health Surcharge Payment Problems

Visa applicants looking to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge are presently experiencing a frustrating technical problem with the service’s Worldpay payment system.  The payment system is currently unable to process card payments with applicants reporting that payments have been declined in circumstances where their card provider reports no attempt to take payment.

If the Immigration Health Surcharge is declined 5 times, the online application form is cancelled and must be re-entered from the start.

Since most applications to stay in the UK for more than 6 months include a requirement to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge, any problem with the service means that applications cannot be completed or lodged. The inability to make payment might represent an unwelcome delay for most, but for some, it could have devastating time-sensitive consequences, such as employees who need to enter the UK to take up employment, or students who are obliged to attend university by a given day or risk invalidating their CAS letters.

It is still possible to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge by Paypal at the time of writing.