The UK Government has confirmed substantial immigration fee rises will apply from 9:00 am on 4 October 2023. The fee for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has also been set at £10. In this article we focus on what these changes mean for employers.
The application and priority service fee rises implement the Government's announcement in July 2023. The date that the Immigration Health Surcharge is due to rise is still unknown, however the Home Office's press release suggests this will be later in Autumn 2023.
What can employers do to minimise the impact of the rises?
We would suggest employers who sponsor workers should consider taking the following actions:
- Review the sponsorship pipeline and submit applications for initial sponsorship, extension and/or settlement ahead of the fee rises wherever possible
- Review Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocations and request increases using the Priority change of circumstance service
- Make any upcoming applications for Skilled Worker defined CoS as soon as possible
- Consider assigning CoS for the maximum appropriate length, to avoid or defer paying higher application fees at extension stage, noting that:
- CoS for fixed term contracts should still be assigned in line with the length of the contract; and
- There may be a maximum appropriate CoS length linked to the immigration category, or the situation of the sponsored worker, e.g. if they are relying on being a Skilled Worker new entrant.
What are some of the headline application fee changes?
Some of the fee changes most likely to be of interest to employers are set out below.
|
Fee Type |
Percentage increase | Current fee (GBP) | New fee (GBP) |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for Skilled Workers or Senior or Specialist Workers | 20% | 199 | 239 |
| Skilled Worker entry clearance with CoS of three years or less (main applicant and each dependant) | 15% | 625 | 719 |
| Skilled Worker entry clearance with CoS of more than three years (main applicant and each dependant) | 15% | 1,235 | 1,420 |
| Skilled Worker permission to stay with CoS of three years or less (main applicant and each dependant) | 15% | 719 | 827 |
| Skilled Worker permission to stay with CoS of more than three years (main applicant and each dependant) | 5.41% | 1,423 | 1,500 |
| Skilled Worker – shortage occupation – entry clearance or permission to stay with CoS of three years or less (main applicant and each dependant) | 15% | 479 | 551 |
| Skilled Worker – shortage occupation – entry clearance or permission to stay with CoS of more than three years (main applicant and each dependant) | 15% | 943 | 1,084 |
| Skilled Worker – Health & Care – entry clearance or permission to stay with CoS of three years or less (main applicant and each dependant) | 15% | 247 | 284 |
| Skilled Worker – Health & Care – entry clearance or permission to stay with CoS of more than three years (main applicant and each dependant) | 15% | 479 | 551 |
| Settlement (indefinite leave) | 20% | 2,404 | 2,885 |
| British citizenship (net of £80 citizenship ceremony fee, where applicable) | 20% |
Naturalisation: 1,250 Adult registration: 1,126 Child registration: 1,012 |
Naturalisation: 1,500 Adult registration: 1,351 Child registration: 1,214 |
See here for a full listing of amended fees.
What are the priority processing fee changes?
Fees for priority processing will also change as set out below.
| Fee type | Current fee (GBP) | New fee (GBP) |
| Super priority processing |
Entry clearance: 956 Permission to stay: 800 |
Entry clearance: 1,000 Permission to stay: 1,000 |
| Priority processing |
Entry clearance (non-settlement): 250 Permission to stay: 500 |
Entry clearance (non-settlement): 500 Permission to stay: 500 (no change) |
What should employers consider regarding the ETA fee?
The ETA is not due for full roll-out until 2024, however applications for it will start to be made from 25 October 2023. Now that the £10 fee is known, employers can start to estimate potential budgetary impact based on the average number of visitors the business invites to the UK annually.
Policies should also be put in place covering when the business will cover ETA costs for visitors.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
