NHS for visitors?

[bsc2007]

Dear all,

I knew that GP will not register someone on a visitor visa, but I thought that the emergency services will take care of visitors in an emergency. However, that is not correct. Can someone confirm that the NHS will give me a hefty bill if my visitors had to go to A & E.

My father-in-law and mother-in-law are coming to UK for 6 months next Tuesday. Can someone from India kindly suggest a good travel insurance company that will indeed cover any unfortunate incident and not just deceive me by placing some loopholes in the contract.

Many thanks,
B

[CR001]

They won't be denied emergency service (i.e. heart attack, stroke, etc) but will be charged at the end of it.

As an aside, 6 months is not a 'visit' but more of 'residing'.

[Casa]

A medical insurance policy will require full declaration of all previous illnesses.

NHS treatment will be charged at 150% of the cost and as an example a member recently reported being faced with a bill of over £30,000 following his parent's hospitalisation as a result of a stroke.

Have your parents actually requested a stay of a full 6 months in their application?

[asp]

There has been a crackdown by NHS Trusts on people who should pay, so expect a large bill even after a visit to A&E. Long overdue.

On the bright side, and unlike in the US, parents won't be asked for their credit card before life saving treatment starts.

[Wanderer]

Dear all,

I knew that GP will not register someone on a visitor visa, but I thought that the emergency services will take care of visitors in an emergency. However, that is not correct. Can someone confirm that the NHS will give me a hefty bill if my visitors had to go to A & E.

My father-in-law and mother-in-law are coming to UK for 6 months next Tuesday. Can someone from India kindly suggest a good travel insurance company that will indeed cover any unfortunate incident and not just deceive me by placing some loopholes in the contract.

Many thanks,
B

NHS will not turn anyone away, however, there will be a charge, a hefty one but not like in USA where it will be like $150,000

Saying for the full six months is not recommended either, that's not a visit.

[bsc2007]

Saying for the full six months is not recommended either, that's not a visit.

Did you mean "staying"? Why is this not recommended? They are going to arrive on 23rd August 2016 and depart on 16th Feb 2017. Is there any issue with this?


Can anyone suggest me something about insurance from India please?

Many thanks,
B

[bsc2007]

My parents did ask for 6 months and that is what they received. I thought this to be perfectly okay. In fact, I plan to bring them again at the end of 6 months. Couldnt find anything suggesting that the 1st 6 months is an issue.

I cant even stand the thought of a £30000 bill. Need to get the insurance sorted asap. By god's grace, both of them do not have any health issues so far.


I need some guidance on which company should I go, and an experience/knowledge of whether these companies reimburse the amount should anything bad happen..

Many thanks,
B

[Wanderer]

My parents did ask for 6 months and that is what they received. I thought this to be perfectly okay. In fact, I plan to bring them again at the end of 6 months. Couldnt find anything suggesting that the 1st 6 months is an issue.

Have a search of the forum. The visa is six-month VALIDITY, which isn't the same as six-month stay. there are 2, 5 and 10 year visit visas but you can't stay in UK on them for 2, 5 or 10 years.

Did they state on the application they'd be here for the full six months?

[Casa]

Just one point in addition to Wanderer's post. You mention bringing your parents again at the end of the 6 month period. This won't be possible as visitors can't spend more time in the UK in a rolling 12 month period than they are spending in their own country, as this will be perceived to be 'residing'.

[bsc2007]

Thanks Wanderer for looking into this. I have just checked the invitation letter which I have sent in support of their application. It does NOT say 6 months. I am not sure if this was a question in their application form. However, we definitely attached return air tickets (which actually are not needed). So they may have looked at this information.

I still dont understand why they cant stay for 5 months and 24 days. The gov website https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/overview clearly says:
"How long you can stay
You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months."

[bsc2007]

Just one point in addition to Wanderer's post. You mention bringing your parents again at the end of the 6 month period. This won't be possible as visitors can't spend more time in the UK in a rolling 12 month period than they are spending in their own country, as this will be perceived to be 'residing'.

Thanks Casa! Yes, I read something about this but thought that I would investigate later. The fact simply is that I want my parents or my wife's parents to be with us at our home when we both go to office. I dont think that the child caretaker is the best thing for my little one..

[Wanderer]

Just one point in addition to Wanderer's post. You mention bringing your parents again at the end of the 6 month period. This won't be possible as visitors can't spend more time in the UK in a rolling 12 month period than they are spending in their own country, as this will be perceived to be 'residing'.

Thanks Casa! Yes, I read something about this but thought that I would investigate later. The fact simply is that I want my parents or my wife's parents to be with us at our home when we both go to office. I dont think that the child caretaker is the best thing for my little one..

While it's fine for a grandparent to see and visit their grandchildren, I'm afraid UKVI see what you propose as unpaid work, which is a definite no-no on a visit visa.

[bsc2007]

Gosh! That was the last thing I would have thought of. It's simply giving the same love and care to my little girl that my grandparents gave me. Its a cultural difference, and I didnt quite think what UKVI thinks of this as an unpaid work.

However, I am still unable to find the thread/discussion suggesting they cant live in UK for full length, or what are the ill-effects of this approach. I remember having read somewhere that they should avoid being in UK for more than 180 days as Casa suggests..

Why cant the wordings be simple and straight at least for people who want to keep it simple and straight. Its surprising how many times I have been surprised for not being aware of the rules.

[Casa]

UKVI Guidance for Case Workers: Page 10
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... e_v4_0.pdf

Note:
You should look at:
• the purpose of the visit and intended length of stay stated
• the number of visits made over the past 12 months, including the length of stay
on each occasion, the time elapsed since the last visit, and if this amounts to
the individual spending more time in the UK than in their home country
the purpose of return trips to the visitor’s home country and if this is used only
to seek re-entry to the UK

Also Page 16:
Where a family member is coming to look after a child in the UK, this is permitted
provided it is for a short visit and does not amount to the relative being employed as
a child-minder. You must be satisfied that the visit is of a short duration and the
relative is a genuine visitor.

[Wanderer]

Gosh! That was the last thing I would have thought of. It's simply giving the same love and care to my little girl that my grandparents gave me. Its a cultural difference, and I didnt quite think what UKVI thinks of this as an unpaid work.

However, I am still unable to find the thread/discussion suggesting they cant live in UK for full length, or what are the ill-effects of this approach. I remember having read somewhere that they should avoid being in UK for more than 180 days as Casa suggests..

Why cant the wordings be simple and straight at least for people who want to keep it simple and straight. Its surprising how many times I have been surprised for not being aware of the rules.

Well, I think it's probably a cultural issue, my partners mother came over on visit visa, six month one, she's 61, working, visited once for 2 weeks and once for 1 week. That's fine, we'll get another, might even shoot for a 5 year after that.

There lies the crux, visit. 5 months 24 days isn't a visit, it's short/medium term residency, it's a seriously long time.

You are welcome to go for it, but the odds on getting another visit visa afterwards are reduced immeasurably, the evidence is on the forum.

Your call, personally having the mother in law here for nearly six months would drive me and my partner nuts but the culture here is not geared for that anyway, as diverse as the UK is.

For me the clue is VISIT, not RESIDE. Six months is residing.

[bsc2007]

Dear Casa, Wanderer, Immigrationboards

You have once again saved me from a great trouble. The tickets are booked and they are ready to fly. I will need to think tonight with a calm head about what I should do. They definitely want to return to UK again after this visit - and its clear from your answers that if they stay for almost 6 months - then the chances of getting another visa are very thin.

Many thanks,
Bhushan

[Casa]

Well at the very least they would be expected to wait a minimum of 6 months before applying for the next visitor visa in order to avoid "spending more time in the UK than in their home country" (as per the guidance).

[secret.simon]

Search on these forums for "Appendix V Visitors" for some of the refusals on the grounds of recurring visit visas and see an earlier post of mine explaining the rules in this field.

Gosh! That was the last thing I would have thought of. It's simply giving the same love and care to my little girl that my grandparents gave me. Its a cultural difference, and I didnt quite think what UKVI thinks of this as an unpaid work.

Whether or not they see it as unpaid work, a UKVI caseworker would certainly not see the need for grandparents to be there 6 months in the year with their grandchildren.

One of my former landlords, a couple from the Indian sub-continent who have been settled in the UK for thirty years, only see their grandchildren for two-three hours a week, even though they live just down the road. As they see it, they have their own lives and things to do and looking after their grandchildren as childminders is not one of them. Play with them maybe, but not be unpaid babysitters. And they (the landlord couple) were not born and raised here (though their children and grandchildren are). If that is the attitude of people raised in more family-oriented climes, imagine the attitude of a caseworker raised in the individualistic West.

[Frontier Mole]

I can assure you If a Border Force Officer is told by anyone especially a relative that they are here to look after a child, paid or unpaid , they can reasonably be refused entry to the UK. The same would apply if that came to light at the visa application stage.

Cultural perspectives do not form any part of the immigration rules. What is considered normal in one country does not impact on the application of the rules.

The proposed period of stay is a noted concern as it points to a whole range of issues, true purpose or intent of "visit", health care provision, is the accommodation able to cope, who is paying for the visit / supporting the individuals and why so long?

I do not see an immediate reason for the refusal of entry but I do not foresee re-entry into the UK for at least a year after their return.

[noajthan]

Worth noting a family in UK is seen primarily as a nuclear family; parents & 2.2 kids.

In my wife's culture, even second or third cousins can be as close as siblings. Which puzzles me who would see them as complete strangers.
In UK having even siblings to stay for a week or so would be enough.

And has been said, these types of considerations don't figure at all in the dispassionate, impersonal (and rightfully so) immigration rules.