The UK Home Office is planning substantial increases in fees for immigration services, including the cost of issuing Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS), a requirement for hiring foreign workers on Skilled Worker visas.
Currently, UK employers must provide a CoS for each overseas worker they hire. This electronic record includes a unique reference number, which the worker uses to apply for a visa. Employers must assign the CoS to the worker no more than three months before the job’s start date, and the worker must apply for their visa within that timeframe. The cost of a CoS, which is presently £239, is expected to more than double to £525 under the proposed changes. Employers will need to reassess their immigration budgets to accommodate these increases.
The Home Office's broader proposal, laid before Parliament on January 16, includes significant increases for various immigration and nationality services. For example, the fee for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) could rise to £16, the cost of naturalisation as a British citizen could increase to £1,605, and naturalisation as a British Overseas Territories citizen may rise to £1,070.
The proposed fee hikes aim to reduce reliance on taxpayer funding for the migration and borders system, aligning with the government’s “Plan for Change.” This initiative seeks to streamline and digitise immigration processes while generating an additional £269 million annually.
The changes are awaiting parliamentary approval, and no definitive implementation date has been set. UK employers hiring foreign nationals must prepare for these increased costs as part of their workforce planning.
Source: Financial Express
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