Skilled Worker Visa Fee UK: Complete 2026 Cost Breakdown
By SkilledJobs Editorial · Published 26 July 2026 · Last verified
The Skilled Worker visa is the principal route for professionals offered a UK job by a licensed sponsor. Understanding the full cost structure—application fees, health surcharge, and employer obligations—is essential for both applicants and hiring organisations. uk work visascertificate of sponsorshipimmigration health surcharge
What the Skilled Worker Visa Fee Covers
The Home Office application fee grants permission to enter or remain in the UK under a certificate of sponsorship issued by a licensed employer. It does not include supplementary charges such as the Immigration Health Surcharge or the sponsor licence and Immigration Skills Charge borne by the employer.
Skilled Worker visa applications can last up to five years before requiring extension, and fee amounts vary by whether you apply from outside the UK or already hold valid leave inside the country.
In-country applications attract a premium of approximately £124–£133 per grant compared to entry clearance.
Immigration Salary List Discount
Jobs appearing on the immigration salary list may qualify for a reduced fee. The salary list page confirms that you must be paid at least £33,400 per year if sponsored for a listed occupation, and applicants pay a lower fee for that visa.
The precise discounted amounts are published in the same 8 April 2026 schedule under the "Immigration Salary List" row, typically reducing the fee by several hundred pounds. Employers and applicants should verify their SOC code eligibility against the official job list before assuming the discount applies.
Immigration Health Surcharge
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a mandatory, non-refundable payment made alongside every Skilled Worker application. It grants access to NHS services for the duration of the visa and is calculated at £1,035 per adult per year according to the 8 April 2026 fee table.
For example, a single applicant requesting a five-year Skilled Worker visa will pay:
Dependants each incur the same IHS rate. A family of three applying together for five years would therefore pay £5,175 × 3 = £15,525 in health surcharge alone, in addition to three application fees.
IHS Exemptions
Certain health and care workers are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge when applying under the Health and Care Worker visa, a parallel route with lower application fees. The Skilled Worker overview advises checking eligibility if you work as a doctor, nurse, or in adult social care.
Employer-Side Costs
Sponsors bear three principal charges: the sponsor licence fee, the Immigration Skills Charge, and the certificate of sponsorship assignment fee.
Sponsor Licence Fee
Before issuing any certificates of sponsorship, employers must hold a valid sponsor licence. The 8 April 2026 fee schedule sets the licence cost at:
£611 for small sponsors and charities
£1,682 for medium or large organisations
Licences are valid for four years and may sponsor unlimited workers during that period, so the per-hire marginal cost depends on recruitment volume.
Certificate of Sponsorship Assignment
Each Skilled Worker requires a unique certificate of sponsorship (CoS). Assigning a CoS incurs a one-time charge, listed in the 8 April 2026 table, typically around £239 per certificate for the main Skilled Worker route.
Immigration Skills Charge
The Immigration Skills Charge is levied per worker per year of sponsorship and varies by organisation size:
For a five-year Skilled Worker sponsored by a large employer, the skills charge totals £5,000, paid upfront when the CoS is assigned.
Some occupations—including PhD-level roles and jobs on the immigration salary list in certain health sectors—are exempt from the Immigration Skills Charge. Employers should review the exemptions in the fee regulations to confirm eligibility.
Total Cost Examples
Example 1: Single Applicant, Five-Year Entry Clearance (Large Employer)
Applications submitted before the effective date of a new fee schedule are charged at the rate in force on the date of submission. For example, an online application completed on 7 April 2026 would pay the pre-April 2026 rate, even if the decision is issued weeks later.
Applicants planning to submit close to an announced fee increase should complete and pay for the application online before the new schedule takes effect.
Who Pays What
Applicants are responsible for:
The Home Office application fee
The full Immigration Health Surcharge for themselves and any dependants
Employers must pay:
The sponsor licence fee (valid for four years, covering unlimited hires)
A certificate of sponsorship assignment fee per worker
The Immigration Skills Charge per worker per year of sponsorship
Some employers choose to reimburse part or all of the applicant's costs as a benefit, but there is no legal obligation to do so. The Skilled Worker visa guidance does not permit employers to deduct visa fees from wages that would otherwise fall below the minimum salary threshold.
Payment Methods and Timing
All applicant-side fees—the visa application charge and IHS—must be paid online by debit or credit card at the point of submission. The Home Office does not accept instalments, and an incomplete payment will prevent the application from being lodged.
Employer-side charges are likewise paid online when assigning a certificate of sponsorship through the Sponsorship Management System. The Immigration Skills Charge and CoS fee are bundled into a single transaction at assignment.
Refunds are rarely granted. If an application is refused, the Immigration Health Surcharge is refunded automatically, but the application fee itself is not. Withdrawing an application before a decision does not trigger a refund of either charge.
Planning Your Budget
For individuals weighing a UK job offer, the upfront personal cost of a five-year Skilled Worker visa is substantial—typically £6,700 to £6,800 when combining the application fee and IHS. Adding dependants multiplies the IHS burden proportionally.
Employers recruiting from overseas should factor in £5,200 to £5,300 per five-year hire (certificate, skills charge, and a share of the licence fee) when budgeting international recruitment campaigns. Smaller organisations and charities benefit from significantly lower skills-charge rates, reducing the marginal cost per worker by several thousand pounds over a full grant period.
Checking whether a role qualifies for the immigration salary list discount or an IHS exemption under the Health and Care Worker route can deliver savings of £500 to £5,000 per application. Both the salary list guidance and the main Skilled Worker page are regularly updated with SOC code changes and eligibility criteria.
When Fees Apply
Skilled Worker visa fees are charged at initial application, at each extension, and when switching from another immigration category to Skilled Worker status. Settlement (indefinite leave to remain) after five years carries a separate, higher fee not covered by the Skilled Worker schedule.
Extensions do not require a new sponsor licence, so employers pay only the CoS and skills-charge components for existing staff renewing their visas. First-time sponsors, however, must budget the full £611 or £1,682 licence cost in addition to per-worker charges.
Checking the Latest Fees
Because fee amounts change each April, always confirm current rates on the official Home Office immigration and nationality fees page before submitting an application or signing a sponsorship agreement. Historical fee tables remain published on GOV.UK for reference but applying an out-of-date rate will result in an invalid payment and processing delays.
The Skilled Worker visa overview links to the current fee schedule and is the authoritative starting point for both applicants and sponsors.
