Last fact-checked: 19 October 2026. This is general information, not a personal eligibility assessment. Follow the current official guidance for your application date.
Separate the worker’s application costs from the employer’s sponsorship charges. The amount depends on the route, application location, visa duration and any exemption. Figures below were checked against the official fee pages on 19 October 2026.
Worker application fees
Standard Skilled Worker applicants usually also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), currently £1,035 per year for an adult. Eligible Health and Care Worker applicants and their dependants are exempt. Family members generally have their own application charges.
The £1,270 maintenance requirement is money you may need to demonstrate, not an extra Home Office fee. Exemptions include qualifying UK residence or sponsor-certified maintenance; otherwise the holding-period rules apply.
| Application | Up to 3 years | More than 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Skilled Worker: outside UK | £819 | £1,618 |
| Standard Skilled Worker: inside UK | £943 | £1,865 |
| Immigration Salary List: inside or outside UK | £628 | £1,235 |
| Health and Care Worker: inside or outside UK | £324 | £628 |
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker application fees · GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker fees · GOV.UK: who pays the IHS
Employer costs
A licence application is an organisation-level cost, not a new licence fee for every recruit. The Immigration Skills Charge has exemptions, including specified research occupations and qualifying Student-to-worker switches. Check the exemption rules rather than assuming every sponsored nurse or graduate is exempt.
| Charge | Small / charitable sponsor | Medium / large sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Worker sponsor licence application | £611 | £1,682 |
| Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship | £525 | £525 |
| Immigration Skills Charge: first 12 months | £480 | £1,320 |
| Immigration Skills Charge: each additional 6 months | £240 | £660 |
Sources: GOV.UK: sponsor licence fees · GOV.UK: certificates of sponsorship · GOV.UK: Immigration Skills Charge
Worked examples, with assumptions
For one adult applying outside the UK on the standard Skilled Worker route, an illustrative three-year IHS period gives £819 + (3 × £1,035) = £3,924. An illustrative five-year IHS period gives £1,618 + (5 × £1,035) = £6,793.
These are not guaranteed quotations or universal minimums. The IHS calculation uses the permission period and charging rules; extra months can change the charge. Examples exclude dependants, priority services, tests, translations, travel, advice and maintenance funds.
For an existing sponsor with no Immigration Skills Charge exemption, three full years of CoS and skills charges total £1,965 for a small/charitable sponsor or £4,485 for a medium/large sponsor. Add a licence application fee only if a new licence is required.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker application fees · GOV.UK: Immigration Skills Charge · GOV.UK: calculating the healthcare surcharge
Which charges must the employer pay?
The sponsor must pay its licence fee, Skilled Worker CoS fee and Immigration Skills Charge itself. GOV.UK warns that recovery of prohibited fees or linked costs from the worker can lead to licence revocation.
Do not interpret this as a blanket ban on every possible immigration-related repayment agreement. Visa application fees, IHS, relocation and other costs have different considerations. Get a written breakdown and qualified advice before accepting a repayment clause.
Sources: GOV.UK: sponsor licence fees · GOV.UK: certificates of sponsorship · GOV.UK: Immigration Skills Charge
Check exemptions and overlapping IHS payments
A successful in-country extension or switch can produce a partial IHS refund if you paid twice for the same period. The overlap must be at least six months and is rounded down to whole six-month periods. A refund is not generally available just because you leave early or obtain ILR.
Sources: GOV.UK: IHS refunds
Settlement is a separate budget
The current Skilled Worker ILR application fee is £3,226 per person. The Life in the UK test costs £50 per attempt. Optional faster processing and other evidence costs are additional; ILR applications do not attract IHS.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker settlement · GOV.UK: Life in the UK test booking
Recheck before paying
Use the linked GOV.UK fee pages at the time of application. Historic tables and an article’s publication year are not proof that a fee is still current.
Before you accept an offer
- Confirm the visa route, duration and who pays each permitted charge.
- Ask whether the sponsor will certify maintenance and whether an IHS or skills-charge exemption applies.
- Keep employer charges separate from your application budget and obtain receipts.
Sources: GOV.UK: Skilled Worker application fees · GOV.UK: Immigration Skills Charge
Continue your job search
Explore potential employers and prepare your CV. Confirm sponsorship with the employer for each vacancy.
Search the sponsor directoryFree CV review