Financial support
For all successful international applicants, we provide financial support for your visa and the immigration health surcharge, plus an interest-free loan to help cover the cost of immigration-related expenses for any dependants accompanying you to the UK. This section explains how the reimbursement works.
What visa costs are reimbursed by the University?
The University of Nottingham reimburses the visa application cost for the main applicant for the following visa applications:
- Skilled Worker applications
- Global Talent visa applications
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) visa applications for existing employees
Eligibility
| Skilled Worker visa |
Applies to prospective employees who are offered, accept and commence appointments of at least one year, existing employees who are extending their contract and/or visa by at least one year and those switching from another visa category (eg those on a student or dependent visa) for a period of at least one year. |
|---|
| Global Talent visa |
Applies to prospective employees who are offered, accept and commence appointments of at least one year, existing employees who are extending their contract and/or visa by at least one year and those switching from another visa category (eg those on a student or dependent visa) for a period of at least one year. |
|---|
| Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) |
Applies to colleagues who have completed a minimum of one year’s service and have a minimum of three years remaining on their employment and require ILR to allow them to continue working at the University. |
|---|
The biometric registration fee of £19.20, chargeable to UK based applicants is also covered.
Please note that this excludes the priority/premium service and postage costs and does not include costs for dependants. The University will not reimburse unsuccessful visa applications or applications for other visa types.
The University operates a loan scheme that can be accessed by employees to help to spread the costs of other immigration related expenses which are not eligible for reimbursement. Information about the interest free loan scheme can be found here.
Will the University reimburse the immigration health surcharge?
The University will reimburse the Immigration Health Surcharge for the main applicant of a Global Talent or Skilled Worker visa. For the Global Talent visa, the University will reimburse the Immigration Health Surcharge applicable to the duration of the main applicant's contract.
Please note that this excludes reimbursement of the Immigration Health Surcharge for dependants. The University operates a loan scheme that can be accessed by employees to help spread the costs of these fees. Information about the interest free loan scheme can be found here.
What if I have external funding?
If you have external funding which covers the cost of your permission to live and work in the UK, you should claim these costs in the appropriate way from the funding body. You will not be eligible for any further reimbursement by the University.
How do I claim reimbursement for my visa and immigration health surcharge?
Once your visa is approved and your department has verified your visa documents, you should complete an immigration reimbursement claim form which can be found here.
We can accept electronic copies of the claim form. Please send your claim form along with the evidence you have paid for your visa/immigration health surcharge (this could be a print out of the confirmation email you receive from the UKVI) to loans@nottingham.ac.uk.
Please note that this excludes the priority/premium service and postage costs and does not include the costs for dependants. The University operates a loan scheme that can be accessed by employees to help to spread the costs of these fees. Information about the interest free loan scheme can be found here.
How will the reimbursement be paid and will it be taxed?
Once your application has been approved, the reimbursement will be processed via payroll and will be visible on your next payslip. It is important to note that the UK tax authority (HMRC) classifies the reimbursement of visa/surcharge fees as earnings, so you will need to be on the University’s payroll for us to reimburse you.
For the expenses to be reimbursed free of tax and National Insurance contributions per HMRC regulations, you must:
a) Not have ‘Domicile or Deemed Domicile’ status in the UK:
i. You were not born in the UK
ii. Your 'Domicile of Origin' is not the UK (ie the country that your parents (usually father) considered to be their permanent home at your date of birth)
iii. You were not resident in the UK for 2017/2018 (ie 6 April 2017 until 5 April 2018), or later years
iv. You have not been UK resident for at least 15 of the 20 tax years before the relevant tax year (unless you have left the UK and there are at least 6 years as a non-UK resident in the 20 tax years before the relevant tax year), and
b) Incur the expense within five years of the date that you first arrived in the UK to begin employment, and
c) Not have been:
i. Present in the UK for any purpose in the two-year period prior to this arrival date; or
ii. Resident in the UK for tax purposes (eg been in paid employment) in either of the two UK tax years prior to your arrival date
Please note that if you do not meet the above criteria, or if you were previously employed by the University, the payment will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions per HMRC regulations.
The payment and any UK taxes/social security contributions withheld (as applicable per HMRC regulations) will be visible on your electronic pay slip, which you will be able to access via MyView (part of the University's HR system).
What happens if I leave the University earlier than anticipated?
If your employment with the University ends because your fixed-term contract comes to an end or if you are made redundant, you won’t need to repay any of the reimbursement. Otherwise, if you resign prior to the end date of your contract, we will seek repayment of visa costs in line with the table below.
Repayment Schedule
| Departure Date | % reimbursement to be repaid |
|---|
| Within a year of the reimbursement |
100% |
| Within the second year of the reimbursement |
75% |
| Within the third year of the reimbursement |
50% |
What date does this reimbursement apply from?
The scheme outlined above applies to new employees commencing employment with the University on or after 1 August 2021 and existing employees extending/renewing their visa whose new visa has a start date on or after 1 August 2021. This scheme is discretionary, and the University reserves the right to amend or withdraw it at any point.