Some UK sponsorship visa fees were recently increased without prior notice. This update outlines fees that are effective from October 21, 2025. The affected services are optional for sponsors and can be used if expedited service is needed. The standard processing time for such requests is up to 18 weeks, whereas expedited processing time is 5 working days.
- Expedited processing of a sponsorship management request (for example Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation increase or change of key personnel requests)
- Previous fee: £200
- Fee from October 21, 2025: £350
- Priority service for expedited processing of sponsor licence applications
- Previous fee: £500
- Fee from October 21, 2025: £750
In addition, the Immigration Skills Charge will increase by 32% from December 16, 2025. Immigration Skills Charge is a mandatory fee to be paid when a CoS is assigned under Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist worker visa routes:
- For large sponsors
- Current fee: £1,000 per year
- Fee from December 16, 2025: £1320 per year
- For small sponsors
- Current fee: £364 per year
- Fee from December 16, 2025: £480 per year
This increase will impact most employers and sponsored work visa applications. However, employers are not required to pay the Immigration Skills Charge in the following scenarios:
- If you are sponsoring someone for a visa from outside the UK to work in the UK for less than 6 months
- If you are sponsoring someone to switch from a Student visa route
- Certain occupations (scientists and researchers)
- If you are sponsoring someone under the Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist Worker route for less than three years and they are a national of an EU country (or normally work in the EU for your EU business but being temporarily transferred to work in the UK)
We recommend planning ahead over the next couple of months where certificate of sponsorship could be assigned before 16th of December. It is possible to assign certificates up to 3 months prior to planned start date and perhaps even consider a 5-year visa option for any potential new hire from the outset. The charge is paid upfront for the entire duration of a sponsored work visa.
Please reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact or submit an inquiry should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.
This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.
