Skilled Worker Visa: How much does it cost?

Often as immigration lawyers our clients ask the question, how much does it cost to hire someone under the Skilled Worker visa category? In deciding to sponsor a Skilled Worker the costs can potentially reach thousands of pounds.

It is important to understand that some fees the employer must cover as part of the immigration process. Other fees the individual can cover. However, despite this often our clients cover the entirety of the fees associated with obtaining a Skilled Worker visa. With the increase of the salary for a Skilled Worker being £38,700 per annum, the costs of sponsoring a Skilled Worker have become a critical factor for our clients whether based in Belfast or London.

To sponsor a Skilled Worker a business must first secure a sponsor licence with the Home Office. The costs of this depends on several factors when applied to the Companies Act 2006. For small businesses this figure at the time of writing is £536. Whilst for medium and large sponsors this figure is £1,476. As immigration lawyers we regularly advise on what fee is applicable to your organisation. The fee structure remains the same for businesses based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, London or elsewhere in the UK.

Another area immigration lawyers consider is the immigration skills charge. This is a levy imposed on employers throughout the UK for hiring workers from abroad. Small organisations are expected to pay £364 per year. Medium or large sponsors this levy is set at £1,000 per year of the Skilled Worker visa. Charities will attract the lower fee when applying for a Skilled Worker visa.

We as immigration lawyers also outline to our clients the costs of the Home Office visa application fees. This depends really on the length of the visa the employer is applying for. There are some concessions if the role applies on the Immigration Salary List (ISL) for example. However, it is reasonable to assume fees for a 3-year visa to be around £719 per applicant. Should an employer wish to apply for longer than 3 years this fee would increase to £1,420.

One fee that really should be taken seriously is the immigration health surcharge. This currently stands at £1,035 per year of the visa. When applying for 3 or 5 years this becomes an important fee to consider for any business based in Belfast, Northern Ireland or London. It is often this fee we see employers ask the question whether the applicant themselves can cover this either partially or in full.

There are several other services which again attract different fees. This includes opting for expedited or priority services to process the visa application faster. Other services which can attract additional costs include opting for retaining your passport rather than surrendering this as part of the application process. Global visa partners such as TLS or VFS Global will also offer a raft of different services all of which can cost additional fees. As immigration lawyers often we advise our clients in Belfast or London that many of these services are optional and therefore avoidable in nature.

A final area worth considering is legal professional fees for applying for a Skilled Worker visa. At CMC Immigration we offer fixed and transparent fees allowing our clients whether in Belfast or London to budget accordingly when considering hiring someone under the Skilled Worker visa category. We feel this works better for our clients in realising the costs of professional fees will usually be the same for each visa application made whether insider or outside the UK.

CMC Immigration can simplify the Skilled Worker visa application process, minimising risks and ensuring that your organisation can successfully recruit and retain international talent.

CMC Immigration Law is an immigration practice based in London and Belfast which provides UK immigration services and solutions to businesses and private individuals throughout the world.