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Skilled Worker visa cost: worker and employer totals

A worker applying from outside the UK for up to 3 years pays £819 plus £1,035 a year in healthcare surcharge, and usually needs £1,270 held in savings. The employer separately pays a £525 certificate fee and the immigration skills charge, and its licence fee if it is new.

The Skilled Worker visa has no single price. The cost to the worker depends on how long the visa is for, whether the application is from inside or outside the UK, whether the job is on the Immigration Salary List, and how many family members apply. The cost to the employer is a different set of fees, some paid once and some for each worker.

GOV.UK, the Home Office fee table of 8 October 2026 and the sponsor guidance give every figure used here. The fee table shows no change from the fees in force before that date. This article adds them up for worked examples and sets out what the Rules say about who may be asked to pay what. It is not a quote for any case: fees can change, and the amount you are told when you apply is the one you pay.

Not every cost is in the Home Office fee table. English test fees, tuberculosis test fees (where required), document translation, and any adviser's fee are paid to other people and are not covered here. The cost of later settlement is set out in our guide to the ILR fee.

The application fee

The fee depends on the length of the sponsorship shown on the certificate of sponsorship. Per person, the fee table and GOV.UK show:

  • Applying from outside the UK: £819 for up to 3 years, £1,618 for more than 3 years.
  • Applying from inside the UK (to extend, switch or update): £943 for up to 3 years, £1,865 for more than 3 years.
  • A job on the Immigration Salary List: £628 for up to 3 years, £1,235 for more than 3 years, the same inside or outside the UK.
  • Health and Care Worker visa: £324 for up to 3 years, £628 for more than 3 years, the same inside or outside the UK. This is a sub-route applied for through the Skilled Worker application.

Family members pay the same fee as the main applicant for the same length of time. GOV.UK gives an example: if the worker's 5-year certificate expires in 2027 and a child applies in 2025, the child pays the fee for more than 3 years. GOV.UK also says that if your partner or child applies later, they pay the fee for the same length of time as you.

There is no fee for biometric enrolment. If you want a faster decision, GOV.UK's priority page says the priority service costs an extra £500 and the super priority service an extra £1,000, per person including each family member, and that availability is limited and depends on your application type and how you prove your identity.

The Immigration Health Surcharge

The healthcare surcharge is paid in addition to the application fee. GOV.UK says it is £1,035 per year for most applicants, £776 per year for applicants who are under 18 at the time of application, and £776 per year for students, their dependants and Youth Mobility Scheme applicants. GOV.UK's example is £3,105 for a 3-year visa.

For part years, GOV.UK says:

  • if the visa is for 6 months or less and you apply from outside the UK, you do not pay;
  • if it is for 6 months or less and you apply from inside the UK, you pay half the yearly cost (£517.50 for the standard rate);
  • for more than 6 months but less than a year, you pay a full year; and
  • for more than a year but 18 months or less, you pay the yearly cost plus half; for more than 18 months but less than 2 years, you pay two full years.

Dependants aged 18 or over pay the same amount as you. A person on a Health and Care Worker visa and their dependants do not pay the surcharge, according to GOV.UK's Health and Care Worker page.

GOV.UK's Skilled Worker page gives a worked example: a 2-year visa for a job not on the Immigration Salary List costs £819 plus £1,035 for each year for the surcharge, a total of £2,889 when you apply.

Money you must hold, but do not spend

The maintenance requirement is not a fee, but it affects whether the applicant can apply. GOV.UK says you must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK, and must have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row, with day 28 falling within 31 days of the application. The requirement does not apply if you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months, or if your employer certifies on your certificate that it will cover your costs for your first month, up to £1,270.

Partners and children each need to show funds: £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child. These can be held by the worker, the partner or the child. GOV.UK's example is £600 for a partner and one child, plus £1,270 for the worker. The same 28-day rule applies, and the family can avoid the proof if everyone has been in the UK on a valid visa for at least 12 months or the employer certifies their costs on the certificate.

Rules SW 15.1 to SW 15.3 in Appendix Skilled Worker set out the same financial requirement, including the 28-day holding period.

Worked examples for the worker

These add up published figures. They are illustrations, not quotes, and not a statement about which case applies to anyone.

Example 1: one worker, outside the UK, 3 years, job not on the Immigration Salary List. Fee £819. Surcharge 3 × £1,035 = £3,105. Total paid to the Home Office: £3,924. Funds held, not spent: £1,270.

Example 2: one worker, outside the UK, 5 years. Fee £1,618. Surcharge 5 × £1,035 = £5,175. Total: £6,793.

Example 3: extending from inside the UK for 5 years. Fee £1,865. Surcharge £5,175. Total: £7,040. No maintenance proof is needed if the worker has been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.

Example 4: a job on the Immigration Salary List, outside the UK, 3 years. Fee £628. Surcharge £3,105. Total: £3,733.

Example 5: a worker with a partner and two children under 18, outside the UK, 3 years, job not on the list. Each of the four people pays the £819 fee: £3,276. The worker and partner each pay the surcharge of £3,105, and each child pays 3 × £776 = £2,328: £6,210 + £4,656 = £10,866. Total: £14,142. Funds to be held by someone in the family: £1,270 + £285 + £315 + £200 = £2,070.

If the visa is a Health and Care Worker visa, no surcharge is charged; the same family of four would pay four fees of £324, a total of £1,296 for up to 3 years, plus funds of £2,070 unless exempt.

What the employer pays

The employer's costs are on GOV.UK's sponsor pages and in the fee table.

Sponsor licence. A worker sponsor licence costs £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor. GOV.UK says most applications are dealt with in less than 8 weeks, and that you may be able to pay an extra £750 for a decision within 10 working days, a limited service. A sponsor is usually small if at least 2 of the following apply: annual turnover of £15 million or less, total assets of £7.5 million or less, or 50 employees or fewer. The licence fee is a one-off cost for becoming a sponsor, not a cost per worker.

Certificate of sponsorship (CoS). GOV.UK lists £525 per certificate for a worker (other than an International Sportsperson), and £55 for a Temporary Worker.

Immigration skills charge. GOV.UK says an additional charge applies when a certificate is assigned to someone applying for a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker visa from outside the UK to work for 6 months or more, or from inside the UK for any length of time. The charge is not payable for a worker's dependants. It is £480 for the first 12 months for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,320 for a medium or large sponsor, plus £240 or £660 for each additional 6 months. If the worker will be in the UK for more than 6 months but less than a year, the sponsor must pay for at least 12 months, and the full charge is paid in one go. GOV.UK lists a group of research and higher education occupation codes (among them 2111 to 2115, 2161, 2162 and 2311) that are exempt.

Worked example: a small sponsor assigning a 3-year certificate pays £480 plus four further 6-month periods at £240, so £1,440. A medium or large sponsor pays £1,320 plus four at £660, so £3,960. GOV.UK's page also states a five-year maximum of £2,400 for small sponsors and £6,600 for medium and large ones, which is lower than straight arithmetic from the table rates would give for five years, so check the amount the Home Office asks for when the certificate is assigned.

Per-worker total for a 3-year certificate: £525 + £1,440 = £1,965 for a small sponsor, or £525 + £3,960 = £4,485 for a medium or large sponsor, before any licence fee.

Other sponsor fees exist, such as £350 for expedited processing of a sponsorship management request and £1,579 for an action plan to upgrade a licence.

Who may be asked to pay what

The Rules and sponsor guidance draw some lines.

  • The sponsor must pay its own fees. GOV.UK says on licence fees: "You must pay the licence fee yourself. Your licence may be revoked if you ask the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to your application." The page says the same about the immigration skills charge: the sponsor must pay it itself.
  • Immigration costs do not count towards salary. Rule SW 14.2(g) says salary does not include "any payments relating to immigration costs, such as the fee or Immigration Health Charge". Payments relating to immigration costs are not part of the salary used for the minimum salary test.
  • Repayments reduce counted salary. Rule SW 14.2A says money paid by the applicant to the sponsor or a related organisation, including deductions from salary and repayments of loans, is subtracted from salary for the salary test, averaged over the length of the sponsorship, unless it is a genuine optional benefit such as a salary sacrifice scheme.
  • Maintenance can be covered by the employer. The employer may certify the applicant's first month costs up to £1,270 on the certificate.

How an employer and worker split the visa fee and surcharge is a matter for their contract, within these rules. A regulated adviser can look at a specific arrangement, but we cannot.

Costs that come later

Settlement is a separate application. GOV.UK and the fee table give £3,226 per person for indefinite leave to remain, and GOV.UK says the healthcare surcharge is not charged on an application for ILR itself. GOV.UK's Health and Care Worker page says that after 5 years a worker may be able to apply to settle. Rule SW 22A.1 asks for English at level B2 in speaking and listening for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027. Our guides on the ILR fee and the English requirement have the figures.

Renewals are also fee-bearing: an extension from inside the UK uses the inside-UK fee and a new surcharge payment for the new period. A change of employer needs an update application with a new certificate of sponsorship and the employer's own fees.

Finding a regulated adviser

Fees are the part of a Skilled Worker application that can be read off a page. The risk is in the details: the right occupation code, the salary test, and the right fee band for the length of the certificate. If you want a regulated adviser to check these first, GOV.UK explains how to find an immigration adviser, and only IAA-registered advisers, solicitors and other qualified persons can give immigration advice in England and Wales.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

How much does a Skilled Worker visa cost in total?

For one worker outside the UK for up to 3 years, the Home Office charges £819 plus £1,035 a year in healthcare surcharge, £3,924 in total, and the worker usually needs £1,270 held for 28 days. For 5 years the total is £6,793. The employer pays its own licence, certificate and skills charge fees separately.

Is the Skilled Worker visa cheaper for some jobs?

Yes. A job on the Immigration Salary List has a lower application fee: £628 for up to 3 years and £1,235 for more than 3 years. Health and Care Worker visas cost £324 or £628, and the holder and dependants do not pay the healthcare surcharge.

Does the employer have to pay the immigration skills charge?

GOV.UK says the sponsor must pay the immigration skills charge itself and that the licence may be revoked if it asks the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to the application. The charge is £480 or £1,320 for the first 12 months, depending on sponsor size.

How much does a certificate of sponsorship cost?

GOV.UK lists £525 per certificate of sponsorship for a worker, charged to the sponsor, and £55 for a Temporary Worker certificate. The sponsor also pays the immigration skills charge when assigning the certificate, if it applies.

How much money do I need in my bank for a Skilled Worker visa?

Usually £1,270 for the worker, held for at least 28 days in a row, with day 28 within 31 days of applying. Add £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child. The proof is not needed if you have been in the UK on a valid visa for 12 months or your employer certifies your costs.

Do dependants pay the healthcare surcharge on a Skilled Worker visa?

Yes, unless the worker is on a Health and Care Worker visa. GOV.UK says dependants aged 18 or over usually pay the same as the worker, £1,035 a year, and applicants under 18 pay £776 a year.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Bringing family on a Skilled Worker visa: costs and rules — Each partner and child pays the same application fee as the Skilled Worker for the same length of stay (£819 or £1,618 from outside the UK), plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, and must show £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each further child. Restrictions apply to dependants of care workers and some medium-skilled jobs.
  • Skilled Worker salary: £41,700 and going rates — Under Appendix Skilled Worker the general salary test is at least £41,700 a year and the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher. Lower thresholds of £33,400, £37,500 or £25,000 apply to specific groups, and only guaranteed basic pay counts.
  • Sponsor licence cost for employers in 2026 — A UK sponsor licence for the Worker routes costs £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large one. Each Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship then costs £525, plus the Immigration Skills Charge, which the employer must pay and may not recover from the worker.
  • Care worker visa in 2026: who can still apply — Under rule SW 6.1B, care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) can only apply for permission to stay, not for entry clearance from abroad. The rule allows either a switch after at least three months working legally for the sponsor, with an application before 22 July 2028, or an application by someone already holding permission in those codes.
  • ILR fee in 2026: £3,226 per person and extras — Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) costs £3,226 for each person applying, and the Home Office fee table of 8 October 2026 shows no change from the current fee. Most applicants aged 18 to 64 also pay £50 for the Life in the UK Test, and can pay £500 or £1,000 more per person for a faster decision where the application type allows it. There is no health surcharge for ILR.
  • Medium-skilled jobs after July 2025: the ISL and TSL — Since 22 July 2025 the Skilled Worker route is open to degree-level jobs, plus mid-level jobs only if they are on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, or if the worker already held permission before that date. Both lists have a cut-off date for new certificates.
  • B2 English for Skilled Worker visas from 2026 — New Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker applicants must show English at level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. People who held the visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating need B1. Settlement applications from 26 March 2027 need B2 in speaking and listening.
  • Skilled Worker visa refused: options and deadlines — A refused Skilled Worker application can be challenged by administrative review (£80; 14 days if you applied in the UK, 28 days if you applied from abroad) because Appendix Skilled Worker is on the eligible list. A certificate of sponsorship that has been used in a refused application cannot be used again (SW 5.1(d)), so a fresh application needs a new certificate and a new visa fee.