New Visa Fees for the UK being introduced on 9 April 2025
The Home Office has announced the implementation of visa fee increases with the most eye-catching relating to Certificates of Sponsorship and applications for British nationality. Small increases are being introduced to most visa categories with the new fees coming into effect on 9 April 2025.
Sponsorship licence fees
| |
Existing fee |
New fee |
Increase |
| Skilled Worker sponsor licence (large sponsor) |
£1,476 |
£1,579 |
£103 |
| Skilled Worker sponsor licence (small sponsor) |
£536 |
£574 |
£38 |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) |
£239 |
£525 |
£286 |
Skilled worker visa fees from within the UK
| Skilled Worker for 3 years or less - main applicant and dependants |
£827 |
£885 |
£58 |
| Skilled Worker for over 3 years - main applicant and dependants |
£1,636 |
£1,751 |
£115 |
Skilled worker visa fees from outside the UK
| Skilled worker for 3 years or less – main applicant and dependants |
£719 |
£769 |
£50 |
| Skilled Worker for over 3 years – main applicant and dependants |
£1,420 |
£1,519 |
£99 |
If you are an employer considering transferring an employee to the UK, recruiting a new hire or extending an existing sponsored employees’ permission before July, it is worth noting that Certificates of Sponsorship can be signed off in advance and are valid for up to three months from the date of issue. This can potentially lead to significant savings if multiple employees are affected.
Partner visa fees from outside the UK
| Spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, fiance, prospective civil partner |
£1,846 |
£1,938 |
£92 |
Partner visa fees within the UK
| Spouse, civil partner and unmarried partner |
£1,258 |
£1,321 |
£63 |
Indefinite leave to remain fee
| Indefinite leave to remain – main applicant and each dependant |
£2,855 |
£3,029 |
£144 |
British Citizenship fees
| Naturalisation as a British citizen |
£1,500 |
£1,605 |
£105 |
| Registration as a British citizen as an adult |
£1,351 |
£1,446 |
£95 |
| Registration as a British citizen as a child |
£1,214 |
£1,214 |
No change |
Visa fee increases – what to do
Applications for affected visas and British citizenship should be filed where possible prior to 9 April. Depending on the type of application, you may then have up to 2 months to attend a biometric appoint in the UK, or longer if from outside the UK.
How we can help
Our team of immigration and nationality lawyers are available to assist if you are looking to file such applications prior to the 9 April 2025 deadline.
About the author
David Robinson