Important Updates
Important Updates
May 20, 2025 | United KingdomFinancial Times Adviser: Relocating to the UK: An Immigration Lawyer’s Guide for US clients
May 21, 2025 | United KingdomLBN: Youth Mobility is a Good Start - But Britain’s Immigration System Still Needs a Business Reset
May 21, 2025 | United StatesNegocios Now Names Associate Ana Gabriela Urizar to NYC-TriState Latinos 40 Under 40 Class of 2025
May 21, 2025 | United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates: Reminder of 2025 Deadline for Mainland Private Sector Employers to Increase Emiratization Rate
May 20, 2025 | European UnionEuropean Union/Schengen Area: Internal Schengen Border Checks Situation
May 20, 2025 | United KingdomFinancial Times Adviser: Relocating to the UK: An Immigration Lawyer’s Guide for US clients
May 21, 2025 | United KingdomLBN: Youth Mobility is a Good Start - But Britain’s Immigration System Still Needs a Business Reset
May 21, 2025 | United StatesNegocios Now Names Associate Ana Gabriela Urizar to NYC-TriState Latinos 40 Under 40 Class of 2025
May 21, 2025 | United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates: Reminder of 2025 Deadline for Mainland Private Sector Employers to Increase Emiratization Rate
May 20, 2025 | European UnionEuropean Union/Schengen Area: Internal Schengen Border Checks Situation
May 20, 2025 | United KingdomFinancial Times Adviser: Relocating to the UK: An Immigration Lawyer’s Guide for US clients
Subscribe
Fragomen.com home
Select Language
  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German

Select Language

  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German
ContactCareersMedia
Search Fragomen.com
  • Our Services
    For EmployersFor IndividualsBy IndustryCase Studies
  • Our Tech & Innovation
  • Our People
  • Our Insights
    Worldwide Immigration Trends ReportsImmigration AlertsEventsMedia MentionsFragomen NewsBlogsPodcastsVideos
  • Spotlights
    Navigating Immigration Under the Second Trump AdministrationHumanitarian and Evolving Legal Pathways (HELP)Vietnamese ImmigrationImmigration Matters: Your U.S. Compliance RoadmapFragomen Consulting EuropeAustralian Immigration: New Skills in Demand Visa
  • About Us
    About FragomenOfficesResponsible Business PracticesFirm GovernanceRecognition

Our Services

  • For Employers
  • For Individuals
  • By Industry
  • Case Studies

Our Tech & Innovation

  • Our Approach

Our People

  • Overview / Directory

Our Insights

  • Worldwide Immigration Trends Reports
  • Immigration Alerts
  • Events
  • Media Mentions
  • Fragomen News
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Spotlights

  • Navigating Immigration Under the Second Trump Administration
  • Humanitarian and Evolving Legal Pathways (HELP)
  • Vietnamese Immigration
  • Immigration Matters: Your U.S. Compliance Roadmap
  • Fragomen Consulting Europe
  • Australian Immigration: New Skills in Demand Visa

About Us

  • About Fragomen
  • Offices
  • Responsible Business Practices
  • Firm Governance
  • Recognition
Select Language
  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German

Select Language

  • English
  • French
  • French - Canadian
  • German
ContactCareersMedia
  • Insights

UK Immigration Fee Increases: Changes to Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility Visas

September 29, 2023

Country / Territory

  • United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Related contacts

Louise-Haycock

Louise Haycock

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9236

Charlotte-Wills

Charlotte Wills

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9130

Shuyeb Muquit - web porthole

Shuyeb Muquit

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9248

View all professionals

Related insights

  • Fee Rises: Food for Positive Thought

Related offices

  • London

Related content

  • UK Immigration – Global Talent
  • UK Sponsor Licences
  • Pathways to British Citizenship

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related contacts

Louise-Haycock

Louise Haycock

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9236

Charlotte-Wills

Charlotte Wills

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9130

Shuyeb Muquit - web porthole

Shuyeb Muquit

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9248

View all professionals

Related insights

  • Fee Rises: Food for Positive Thought

Related offices

  • London

Related content

  • UK Immigration – Global Talent
  • UK Sponsor Licences
  • Pathways to British Citizenship

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related contacts

Louise-Haycock

Louise Haycock

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9236

Charlotte-Wills

Charlotte Wills

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9130

Shuyeb Muquit - web porthole

Shuyeb Muquit

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9248

View all professionals

Related insights

  • Fee Rises: Food for Positive Thought

Related offices

  • London

Related content

  • UK Immigration – Global Talent
  • UK Sponsor Licences
  • Pathways to British Citizenship

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

By: Louise Haycock, Charlotte Wills, Shuyeb Muquit, Kinka Tonchev

In an age of cost containment, the recently announced changes to the United Kingdom’s immigration fees—while not a surprise—were unlikely to have been welcomed by those in the mobility space.

The fee increases are meant to help fund spending in public services, so the prospect of reversing them seems remote. More positively, this perhaps signifies a move away from a policy to reduce net migration to one encouraging immigration to the UK as a revenue stream. Read our recent blog on fee rises for more insights.

Compared to other immigration systems, the UK’s is transparent, digital, caters to most industries with sponsorship routes having relatively low skills and salary thresholds and, critically, is quick.

However, the system is expensive; company-sponsored routes encompass not only a work permit and visa fee but also levies to the NHS and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. Despite this, the continued rise of the use of the Skilled Worker visa suggests that these fees have not been a deterrent for sponsors, and that the UK remains an attractive destination for individuals and businesses alike.

What are the changes?

Fee rises come into force for applications submitted from 4 October 2023. Most rises are between 15-20% but some are more. For example, priority fees have doubled.

This blog focuses specifically on the changes to the Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility: Senior and Specialist Worker Category visas.

Fee Increases Chart - UK Immigration

Case study

Jack comes to the UK, sponsored by his employer under the Skilled Worker category, bringing his Partner and two children, younger than 18. The fees would be:

  • Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS): £239
  • Visa fee for Jack and dependants for five years: £1420 x 4 = £5680
  • Immigration Skills Charge: £5000
  • Immigration Health Surcharge: £10,940
  • Total = £21859 (please note there are potential other charges payable. These could include priority, scanning, etc.)

Savings options

There may be options available to reduce fees when initially hiring new recruits.

It has long been common practice to apply for the longest possible visa available. This has distinct advantages such as certainty, no requirement for extensions and employee experience.

However, if the individual leaves employment particularly before the three-year point, the company has lost the uplifted visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge as both fees will not be refunded.

If Jack instead applied for a three-year visa initially, costs would be:

  • CoS: £239
  • Visa fee for Jack and dependants for three years: £719 x 4 = £2876
  • Immigration Skills Charge: £3000
  • Immigration Health Surcharge: £6564
  • Total = £12,679 (£9,180 cheaper than a five-year visa at the outset)

Of course, Jack may need to extend the visa an additional two years, and the associated costs would be:

  • CoS: £239
  • Visa fee for Jack and dependants for five years: £827 x 4 = £3308
  • Immigration Skills Charge: £2000
  • Immigration Health Surcharge: £4376
  • Total = £9923 (£743 more expensive than applying for a five-year visa at the outset)

Employer considerations

There is no clear-cut way to ensure that costs are reduced in the long-term by applying for a longer or shorter visa, and employers should be mindful of the administration of an additional application.

However, by using data to project the likelihood of a person staying in a role for the full five years, employers could look to make strategic decisions on the length of visa offered at the outset.

Whilst not a solution for every occasion, the Immigration Skills Charge is not payable under the GBM Senior and Special Worker route where:

  • the individual holds an EU or Latvian non-citizen’s passport;
  • they normally work in the EU for an EU business but have temporarily transferred work to the UK; and
  • transfer is for less than three years.

There is a possible £3000 saving for employers when they need to transfer EU workers from their EU business to the UK.

Unsponsored routes

Whilst the traditional worker routes are attractive for their simplicity, they are, of course, not the only visa options that allow work.

Family route, Graduate, Ancestry, Youth Mobility, High Potential Individual and Global Talent visas (to name a few), all allow work and come with lower fees.

Consulting with a professional may help to explore all available options.

Looking ahead

There is no quick fix to avoiding these fee rises. Ultimately, businesses will likely need to carry out more strategic analysis and planning to help them make the most beneficial decisions when moving individuals to the UK.

The government fees are unlikely to decrease in the near future, but there are considerations that may help navigate them. Fragomen professionals can help businesses prepare using fee calculators and pre-assessments of cases, as well as taking a deeper dive into data and trends to see where policies can be tweaked to result in overall savings.

Need to know more?

For questions or further information, please contact Partners Louise Haycock and Charlotte Wills at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively, Senior Manager Shuyeb Muquit at [email protected] or Manager Kinka Tonchev at [email protected].

This blog was published on 29 September 2023, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

Country / Territory

  • United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Related contacts

Louise-Haycock

Louise Haycock

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9236

Charlotte-Wills

Charlotte Wills

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9130

Shuyeb Muquit - web porthole

Shuyeb Muquit

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9248

View all professionals

Related insights

  • Fee Rises: Food for Positive Thought

Related offices

  • London

Related content

  • UK Immigration – Global Talent
  • UK Sponsor Licences
  • Pathways to British Citizenship

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related contacts

Louise-Haycock

Louise Haycock

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9236

Charlotte-Wills

Charlotte Wills

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9130

Shuyeb Muquit - web porthole

Shuyeb Muquit

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9248

View all professionals

Related insights

  • Fee Rises: Food for Positive Thought

Related offices

  • London

Related content

  • UK Immigration – Global Talent
  • UK Sponsor Licences
  • Pathways to British Citizenship

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Related contacts

Louise-Haycock

Louise Haycock

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9236

Charlotte-Wills

Charlotte Wills

Partner

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9130

Shuyeb Muquit - web porthole

Shuyeb Muquit

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director

London, United Kingdom

Email

[email protected]

T:+44 (0) 20 7090 9248

View all professionals

Related insights

  • Fee Rises: Food for Positive Thought

Related offices

  • London

Related content

  • UK Immigration – Global Talent
  • UK Sponsor Licences
  • Pathways to British Citizenship

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Explore more at Fragomen

Media mentions

LBN: Youth Mobility is a Good Start - But Britain’s Immigration System Still Needs a Business Reset

UK Managing Partner Nadine Goldfoot reflects on how the UK’s immigration system might adapt to better support business and short-term mobility.

Learn more

Awards

Negocios Now Names Associate Ana Gabriela Urizar to NYC-TriState Latinos 40 Under 40 Class of 2025

Negocios Now names Associate Ana Gabriela Urizar to its NYC-TriState Latinos 40 Under 40 Class of 2025 list.

Learn more

Video

Digital Nomad Visas Explained: How to Travel and Work Remotely

Learn the key requirements for digital nomad visas and find out which countries you can apply to as a remote worker or freelancer. 

Learn more

Media mentions

Financial Times Adviser: Relocating to the UK: An Immigration Lawyer’s Guide for US clients

Practice Leader Olga Nechita provides practical guidance on navigating UK immigration routes, settlement options and key considerations for applicants.

Learn more

Video

New DOLE Rules for Employing Foreign Nationals | #MobilityMinute

Senior Business Immigration Consultant Missy Mae Makil discusses the new DOLE rules for employing foreign nationals in the Philippines.

Learn more

Media mentions

Research Professional News: Immigration White Paper Offers Employers Costs without Clarity

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit examines how the UK’s new Immigration White Paper could affect talent mobility and growth in the life sciences sector.

Learn more

Media mentions

An Interview with Partner Abeer Al Husseini (الاقتصادية)

Partner Abeer Al Husseini discusses recent changes in Saudi Arabia's commercial regulations, their impact on international businesses and how they support Vision 2030.

Learn more

Awards

Fragomen and Talent Beyond Boundaries Win "Partnership with an International Charity" at Better Society 2025 Awards

Fragomen and Talent Beyond Boundaries received the “Partnership with an International Charity” award at the 10th Annual Better Society Awards.

Learn more

Blog post

Freelance Licence in the UAE: What You Need to Know in 2025

Corporate Services Director Elena Caron outlines essential information and updates regarding obtaining a freelance licence in the UAE, highlighting key requirements and benefits for freelancers.

Learn more

Media mentions

Global Mobility Lawyer: Immigration White Paper Sends Message That the UK is “Closed for Business”

Partner Rajiv Naik discussed how UK employers can prepare for immigration reforms by reviewing policies and aligning mobility with workforce planning.

Learn more

Blog post

A System Reset Presents Challenges and Opportunities: The UK’s Immigration White Paper in Focus

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit discusses how the UK’s Immigration White Paper presents both challenges and opportunities, highlighting the need for a system reset to address immigration issues effectively.

Learn more

Media mentions

AMCHAM Luxembourg: Interview – Virginie Todesco, Fragomen

Immigration Manager Virginie Todesco highlights how Luxembourg’s clear immigration system and strategic reforms attract global talent and employers.

Learn more

Media mentions

LBN: Youth Mobility is a Good Start - But Britain’s Immigration System Still Needs a Business Reset

UK Managing Partner Nadine Goldfoot reflects on how the UK’s immigration system might adapt to better support business and short-term mobility.

Learn more

Awards

Negocios Now Names Associate Ana Gabriela Urizar to NYC-TriState Latinos 40 Under 40 Class of 2025

Negocios Now names Associate Ana Gabriela Urizar to its NYC-TriState Latinos 40 Under 40 Class of 2025 list.

Learn more

Video

Digital Nomad Visas Explained: How to Travel and Work Remotely

Learn the key requirements for digital nomad visas and find out which countries you can apply to as a remote worker or freelancer. 

Learn more

Media mentions

Financial Times Adviser: Relocating to the UK: An Immigration Lawyer’s Guide for US clients

Practice Leader Olga Nechita provides practical guidance on navigating UK immigration routes, settlement options and key considerations for applicants.

Learn more

Video

New DOLE Rules for Employing Foreign Nationals | #MobilityMinute

Senior Business Immigration Consultant Missy Mae Makil discusses the new DOLE rules for employing foreign nationals in the Philippines.

Learn more

Media mentions

Research Professional News: Immigration White Paper Offers Employers Costs without Clarity

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit examines how the UK’s new Immigration White Paper could affect talent mobility and growth in the life sciences sector.

Learn more

Media mentions

An Interview with Partner Abeer Al Husseini (الاقتصادية)

Partner Abeer Al Husseini discusses recent changes in Saudi Arabia's commercial regulations, their impact on international businesses and how they support Vision 2030.

Learn more

Awards

Fragomen and Talent Beyond Boundaries Win "Partnership with an International Charity" at Better Society 2025 Awards

Fragomen and Talent Beyond Boundaries received the “Partnership with an International Charity” award at the 10th Annual Better Society Awards.

Learn more

Blog post

Freelance Licence in the UAE: What You Need to Know in 2025

Corporate Services Director Elena Caron outlines essential information and updates regarding obtaining a freelance licence in the UAE, highlighting key requirements and benefits for freelancers.

Learn more

Media mentions

Global Mobility Lawyer: Immigration White Paper Sends Message That the UK is “Closed for Business”

Partner Rajiv Naik discussed how UK employers can prepare for immigration reforms by reviewing policies and aligning mobility with workforce planning.

Learn more

Blog post

A System Reset Presents Challenges and Opportunities: The UK’s Immigration White Paper in Focus

UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit discusses how the UK’s Immigration White Paper presents both challenges and opportunities, highlighting the need for a system reset to address immigration issues effectively.

Learn more

Media mentions

AMCHAM Luxembourg: Interview – Virginie Todesco, Fragomen

Immigration Manager Virginie Todesco highlights how Luxembourg’s clear immigration system and strategic reforms attract global talent and employers.

Learn more

Stay in touch

Subscribe to receive our latest immigration alerts

Subscribe

Our firm

  • About
  • Careers
  • Firm Governance
  • Media Inquiries
  • Recognition

Information

  • Attorney Advertising
  • Legal Notices
  • Privacy Policies
  • UK Regulatory Requirements

Our firm

  • About
  • Careers
  • Firm Governance
  • Media Inquiries
  • Recognition

Information

  • Attorney Advertising
  • Legal Notices
  • Privacy Policies
  • UK Regulatory Requirements

Have a question?

Contact Us
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

© 2025 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Please note that the content made available on this site is not intended for visitors / customers located in the province of Quebec, and the information provided is not applicable to the Quebec market. To access relevant information that applies to the Quebec market, please click here.