Many Indian and non - European Union professors working at British universities are in heavy debt as they need to pay increased tier 2 visa costs and permanent residency costs if they want to continue working. UK Home Office allows non - European Union workers to work in the country for up to five years. UK visas are the costliest in the world. Big companies need to pay as much as £1,000 yearly for immigration skills charge, while smaller companies have to pay £364 yearly. On the other hand, tier 2 visa applications have to pay £1,220 for a three-year term and permanent residency aka indefinite leave to remain costs £2,389 per person. UK Home Office recently increased the fees by four percent and even it is minor, it only signifies more raises in the future.
They also doubled the yearly health insurance fees from £200 to £400 along with a new rule that requires family members to pay a separate fee. According to a report by Times Higher Education, there’s an increasing concern among non-EU academics who are currently working in United Kingdom universities that they will be subjected to increase in fees after the country official exits from the European Union in March 2019. European Union citizens aren’t any longer eligible for working and living in the United Kingdom without requiring a visa.
Classic case
Gareth Edwards, Australian, and geography lecturer, University of East Anglia was surprised when the university said that they wouldn’t be able to help with visa fees while hiring him. He was eligible for the relocation allowance, but then he couldn’t claim the UK Tier 2 visa as a part of the package. He revealed that he spent 30 percent of his take-home salary on UK visa fees and applications for indefinite leave to remain.
