A guide to Home Office
immigration fees

25 October 2021

All UK businesses sponsoring migrant workers are required to pay certain immigration fees set by the Home Office. Some of these fees must be paid by the employer, whereas other fees such as the visa application fee are usually covered by the migrant worker.

Before beginning an application, employers and applicants alike should be aware of the fees they are required to pay for themselves and any accompanying dependants, as the costs can quickly stack up.

In this guide, we set out the most common Home Office immigration fees and explain what they are for, how much they cost and any exemptions that apply.

Important Note: The information in this article is correct at the time of publication, however immigration fees are subject to change by the Home Office. For this reason, Smith Stone Walters recommends checking the Home Office website for the most up to date fees. A full list of current immigration and nationality fees can be found here.

Immigration Skills Charge (ISC)

The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) is a cost levied on UK organisations employing foreign workers for six months or more. Sponsors are required to pay the ISC for each Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) they assign, unless an exemption applies. The amount charged will depend on the size of the organisation and the length of employment stated on the CoS.

Currently, the ISC for small or charitable sponsors is £364 for the first year of employment, plus £182 for each subsequent six month period. Medium or large sponsors are required to pay the larger fee of £1,000 for the first year plus £500 for each additional six month period.

There are some exemptions that apply to the ISC. You do not need to pay the charge if you are sponsoring someone who:

  • Is on an Intra-Company Graduate Trainee visa
  • Is on a visa to study in the UK and switches to a Skilled Worker or Intra-Company Transfer visa (if they then extend their stay on the new visa, you will not have to pay the ISC)
  • Has a role in one of the following occupation codes:
    • chemical scientists (2111)
    • biological scientists and biochemists (2112)
    • physical scientists (2113)
    • social and humanities scientists (2114)
    • natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified (2119)
    • research and development managers (2150)
    • higher education teaching professionals (2311)
    • clergy (2444)
    • sports players (3441)
    • sports coaches, instructors or officials (3442)

Where the ISC is applicable, it must be paid by the sponsor and cannot be passed onto the sponsored worker.

Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

The IHS is a fee which most migrants coming to the UK must pay in order to access free healthcare on the NHS for the duration of their stay. You will usually need to pay the IHS if you are applying for a visa for more than six months from outside the UK, or for any length of time if you are applying from inside the UK.

Currently the IHS is £624 per year, or £470 per year for students, Youth Mobility Scheme visa applicants, and anyone under the age of 18.

Certain applicants are exempt from paying the IHS. You do not need to pay if:

  • you’re applying for indefinite leave to enter or remain
  • you’re a health and care worker who is eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa (or you’re their dependant)
  • you’re applying to the EU Settlement Scheme
  • you’re a diplomat or a member of a visiting armed forces and not subject to immigration control
  • you’re a dependant of a member of the UK’s armed forces
  • you’re the dependant of a member of another country’s armed forces who is exempt from immigration control
  • you’re applying for a visa for the Isle of Man or Channel Islands
  • you’re a British Overseas Territory citizen resident in the Falkland Islands
  • you’re an asylum seeker or applying for humanitarian protection (or you’re their dependant)
  • you’re a domestic worker who has been identified as a victim of slavery or human trafficking
  • you’re applying for discretionary leave to remain in the UK as someone who has been identified as a victim of slavery or human trafficking (or you’re their dependant)
  • the Home Office’s domestic violence concession applies to you (or you’re their dependant)
  • being made to leave the UK would be against your rights under Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights (or you’re their dependant)
  • you’re an S2 Healthcare Visitor
  • you’re eligible for a Frontier Worker permit and have an S1 certificate

The IHS is usually paid by the visa applicant along with their visa application fee, however some employers opt to cover this cost for their sponsored workers.

Visa application fees

The application fee you will need to pay depends on the type of visa you are applying for, and whether you are submitting your application from inside or outside the UK. The application fee for work visas is usually covered by the migrant worker, although the employer may pay this on behalf of the worker if required.

The current application fees for some common work visa categories submitted from outside the UK are as follows:

  • Skilled Worker (CoS issued for 3 years or less) – £610
  • Skilled Worker (CoS issued for over 3 years) – £1220
  • Skilled Worker in a shortage occupation (CoS issued for 3 years or less) – £464
  • Skilled Worker in a shortage occupation (CoS issued for over 3 years) – £928
  • Intra-Company Transfer (CoS issued for 3 years or less) – £610
  • Intra-Company Transfer (CoS issued for over 3 years) – £1220
  • Intra-Company Transfer Graduate Trainee – £482
  • Health and Care Worker (CoS issued for 3 years or less) – £232
  • Health and Care Worker (CoS issued for over 3 years) – £464
  • Representative of an Overseas Business – £610
  • Temporary Work – £244

You will usually need to pay the same fee for each dependant family member who will be joining you in the UK.

Priority services

Processing times for visa or settlement applications will vary depending on the type of application you are submitting and whether you are filing your application from inside or outside the UK. Applicants who require a faster decision on their visa application may be eligible to use the Home Office’s Priority or Super Priority services for an additional cost.

In the UK, the following premium services are available:

  • The Priority service costs £500 in addition to the application fee, and you will receive a decision within five working days from the date you submitted the application
  • The Super Priority service costs £800 in addition to the application fee, and you will receive a decision by the end of the next working day if your appointment is on a weekday, or 2 working days after your appointment if your appointment is on a weekend or bank holiday.

The Home Office also offers a priority service for the expedited processing of sponsor licence applications. This service costs £500 and a decision will be provided within 10 working days.

Sponsorship fees

Businesses looking to become a Home Office licensed sponsor should be aware of the costs involved with securing sponsor approval. Applicable costs include:

  • Sponsor licence application fee – The application fee for small sponsors is £536, or £1,476 for large sponsors. The same fee is charged when you apply to renew a sponsor licence.
  • Fee to assign a CoS – Sponsors will need to pay £199 for each CoS they issue to a Skilled Worker or Intra-Company Transferee.

The Home Office also offers sponsors the chance to sign up to a ‘premium sponsor’ scheme which provides an enhanced level of customer service and other benefits such as a dedicated account manager. The cost of this service is £25,000 per year for large sponsors, or £8,000 per year for small sponsors.

Support with sponsor compliance

Whether you are new to sponsorship or you have been a licenced sponsor for several years, it is crucial for businesses to remain up to date with current guidelines in order to maintain ongoing compliance.

If you have questions about compliance or any other area of sponsoring skilled workers, Smith Stone Walters would be happy to help.

To speak to a member of our immigration team, please contact us today.

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