UK Immigration and Visa Fees Set to Rise on the 4 October 2023

A while ago the government announced that it planned to significantly increase some UK immigration and visa fees. We now know that the price hikes will come into force on 4 October 2023.

Immigration Solicitors  say that if you would be affected by the increases to the immigration and visa fees and you are ready to submit your Home Office application then do so before the 4 October.

In this blog, we highlight the key changes to immigration fees.

UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors 

Immigration fee changes for sponsoring employers

The good news for sponsor licence applicants is that the application fee for a sponsor licence is not changing. If your business is classed as small or your organisation has charitable status the licence fee remains at £536. Medium and large companies will continue to pay £1,476 for their licence. The fees for the use of priority and premium sponsor licence processing are also not increasing in October. However, it is not all good news as the cost of certificates of sponsorship is increasing from £199 per certificate to £239.

In addition, for sponsor licence holders who offer to pay the skilled worker visa application fee on behalf of overseas recruits, the skilled worker visa application fees are rising. In general, the work visa fees for most routes are rising by around 15%.

 A word of warning, the immigration health surcharge figure is not increasing on the 4 October but the government has announced that it will do so. The planned rise is from £624 to £1,035 per year. If your business pays the immigration health surcharge on behalf of its overseas employees you may want to consider beefing up your employment contracts so you can try to claw back the immigration health surcharge fees paid on behalf of an employee who elects to leave your employment before the end of their leave to remain.

Sponsorship Licence lawyers understand that these fee changes are a headache for sponsoring employers who need to pass on immigration and visa fee rises to their end consumers, whether they be residents of nursing homes, patrons of restaurants or purchasers of new builds. Employers may be able to slightly reduce the impact of fee changes by obtaining any required certificates of sponsorship before 4 October.

Individual immigration and visa application fee rises

In addition to work visa rises for individual applicants, fees are increasing almost across the board. Immigration solicitors stress that if you are ready to apply for your visa then do so before 4 October but they emphasise that you should take immigration legal advice on your application to make sure that you are applying for the best visa for your circumstances and that the application and supporting paperwork are correct. If they are not then a rushed application will cost you more in time and money.

We set out below some of the key visa changes:

The government has said the immigration and visa fees are partially to fund public sector pay rises and services. To those coming to work in the UK and pay taxes, or those who have lived and worked in the UK for several years and are applying to settle in the UK, they may question the rationale for fee hikes. However, you will have to put your application in before 4 October 2023 if you want to avoid the Home Office price increases.