United Kingdom: New Proposals to Further Increase Immigration Fees
January 16, 2025
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At a Glance
- The UK government has announced proposals to increase certain immigration fees, including the cost to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship, among others.
- Specifically, the cost of a Certificate of Sponsorship, which employers sponsoring foreign nationals under the Skilled Worker Route are required to pay, is expected to more than double.
- The proposals are now awaiting approval by the UK Parliament, among other legal processes that will have to occur before the proposals enter into effect. As such, there is no definitive date by which the fee increases will go into effect.
- Employers in the United Kingdom who intend to hire foreign nationals will therefore need to account for these increased fees as part of their budget planning.
The situation
The UK government announced proposals to increase certain immigration fees, including the cost to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS), among other items.
A closer look
- Certificate of Sponsorship. The cost of a COS, which is required to be paid by employers who sponsor foreign nationals under the Skilled Worker Route, is expected to more than double from GBP 239 to GBP 525.
- Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) application. The ETA application is expected to increase to GBP 16, up from the current GBP 10.
- Other immigration fee increases. Additional fee increases included in the proposals pertain to the cost of applying for UK citizenship.
Impact on employers
- Budget assessments. Due to the significant jump in cost of the COS, sponsors will need to reassess their immigration budgets in order to ensure they are prepared to sponsor foreign nationals.
- Global fee comparison. UK immigration fees are already among the highest in the world, and these proposed increases will make hiring foreign nationals even more expensive, with potential implications for hiring and immigration program decisions.
Background
- Government rationale for fee increases. The government has stated that the fees should raise an additional GBP 269 million in revenue and help it achieve its aim of reducing the cost to taxpayers of running the immigration system.
- Other Certificate of Sponsorship changes. The fee increases coincide with the recent confirmation that employers must pay COS fees, and these fees are not recoupable from the foreign nationals they sponsor; this has already increased financial burdens for some sponsors.
- Current fees had already increased. This change comes after other fee increases were introduced last year across all work and study routes, and after there were increases to the upfront immigration health surcharge that foreign nationals entering the United Kingdom as workers and students must pay. Current immigration fees can be found here.
Looking ahead
Businesses using or seeking to use the UK immigration system to employ foreign nationals will need to reassess their budget and application strategies in light of the proposed increased costs.
Fragomen will monitor the progress of the proposals through the UK Parliament and provide further updates on the implementation date of the proposals, when available.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
