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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.

An employer who wants to hire someone from outside the UK usually pays four separate things to the Home Office: a licence fee, a fee for each certificate of sponsorship, the Immigration Skills Charge for most Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker certificates, and optional fast-service fees. The worker pays their own visa application fee and healthcare surcharge. This guide sets out each employer-side amount as it stands on 10 October 2026, who counts as "small", which workers are exempt from the charge, what can be refunded, and what an employer must never pass on to the worker.

All Home Office fees are shown in the fee table dated 8 October 2026, which lists no change from the previous figures. Immigration fee tables are updated from time to time, so check the current table before you pay. Nothing here is advice about whether a particular business is eligible to hold a licence or should sponsor a particular person.

The licence fee

The licence fee is paid when the online application is submitted. GOV.UK sets out the amounts by type of licence and organisation size:

  • Worker licence: £611 for a small or charitable sponsor, £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor.
  • Temporary Worker licence: £611 for both sizes.
  • Worker and Temporary Worker together: £611 small or charitable, £1,682 medium or large.
  • Adding a Worker licence to an existing Temporary Worker licence: no fee for a small or charitable sponsor, £1,071 for a medium or large sponsor.
  • Adding a Temporary Worker licence to an existing Worker licence: no fee for either size.

The fee table of 8 October 2026 shows the same figures, and adds that a Student sponsor licence is £611. The sponsor guidance says the fee is for the Home Office's consideration of the application and is not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn after consideration has begun. The one exception in the guidance is an application rejected as invalid, for example because a mandatory document is missing, where the fee is refunded.

The licence is not time-limited. The guidance says that once granted, it is valid indefinitely unless it is revoked or surrendered, with the exception of the UK Expansion Worker and Scale-up routes, which are limited to a maximum of four years.

Who counts as small or charitable

The size test matters twice: it sets the licence fee and the Immigration Skills Charge rate. The sources describe it in two slightly different ways, so read both.

The sponsor guidance (Part 1, paragraph L6.13) says an organisation can pay the small licence fee if any of these apply:

  • it is applying under the Temporary Worker routes only;
  • it has charitable status;
  • it is subject to the small companies regime under section 381 of the Companies Act 2006;
  • it is not a company for the purposes of that section and employs no more than 50 people.

In all other cases the large fee is payable.

The Immigration Skills Charge Regulations 2017 define a "small or charitable sponsor" in regulation 2 as a company subject to the small companies regime under section 381 of the Companies Act 2006, a charity, or a person who employs no more than 50 employees.

GOV.UK's employer pages describe a "small sponsor" more loosely, as one that usually meets at least two of three tests: annual turnover of £15 million or less, total assets of £7.5 million or less, or 50 employees or fewer. If you are not sure which category applies, the GOV.UK page points to the Home Office Business Helpdesk. Choose carefully, because the guidance says the size you select on the application determines the licence fee and the charge you pay until you tell the Home Office of a change, and the employer must report a change of size or charitable status within 20 working days.

Certificate of sponsorship fees

A licence alone does not let an employer hire anyone. A certificate of sponsorship, an electronic record with its own reference number, must be assigned to each worker, and a fee is payable each time.

  • Skilled Worker, Minister of Religion, Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility) and International Sportsperson for more than 12 months: £525.
  • Temporary Worker routes (including Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, Secondment Worker and Scale-up): £55.
  • International Sportsperson for 12 months or less: £55.

The guidance explains the two kinds of certificate. Defined certificates are for people applying for a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK; the employer requests them through the sponsorship management system and GOV.UK says they are usually approved within one working day. Undefined certificates are for people applying from inside the UK and for most other routes; the employer estimates how many it needs in its first year when it applies, and can ask for more later, with a usual decision time of 12 weeks and a paid option for a decision within five working days.

The worker must use the certificate to apply for a visa within three months of it being assigned, and must not apply more than three months before the job start date on it. An unused certificate expires, and the ISC refund rules treat that as an event that triggers a refund, covered below.

The Immigration Skills Charge

The Immigration Skills Charge applies when a certificate is assigned for a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker. It is payable if the worker is applying from outside the UK for 6 months or more, or from inside the UK for any length of time. It is not charged for the worker's dependants. It is paid in one payment when the certificate is assigned: GOV.UK says "You must pay the full charge in one go."

The amount depends on the size of the employer and the length of employment on the certificate. A period longer than six months but under a year is charged as 12 months. The Immigration Skills Charge (Amendment) Regulations 2025 set the current table, in force from 16 December 2025:

  • 12 months or less: £480 small or charitable, £1,320 medium or large.
  • Up to 18 months: £720 and £1,980.
  • Up to 24 months: £960 and £2,640.
  • Up to 30 months: £1,200 and £3,300.
  • Up to 36 months: £1,440 and £3,960.
  • Up to 42 months: £1,680 and £4,620.
  • Up to 48 months: £1,920 and £5,280.
  • Up to 54 months: £2,160 and £5,940.
  • Up to 60 months: £2,400 and £6,600.

The sponsor guidance confirms the same structure: £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each additional six months for small or charitable sponsors, and £1,320 plus £660 for others. For certificates assigned before 16 December 2025 the earlier rates of £364 and £182 (small) and £1,000 and £500 (large) applied. Five years is the longest sponsorship period, and GOV.UK gives the maximum charge as £2,400 for a small or charitable sponsor and £6,600 for a medium or large one, which matches the regulations' table.

Exemptions from the charge

GOV.UK and the sponsor guidance (Part 2, section S5) list when no charge is payable. The main cases are:

  • the worker is applying from outside the UK for less than 6 months;
  • the job is in one of the listed research and higher-education occupation codes: 2111, 2112, 2113, 2114, 2115, 2119, 2161, 2162 and 2311;
  • the worker has current permission as a Student, Child Student or Short-term Student, or the old Tier 4 equivalents, on the date the certificate is assigned;
  • the employer assigns a new certificate to a worker it already sponsored, and the new permission would not run longer than the current one (if it would, the charge is payable for the extra time);
  • certain Senior or Specialist Workers moved temporarily from an EU business under the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

The guidance is explicit about one trap: the student exemption does not cover someone whose permission is as a Graduate, or as a dependant of a student. The Amendment Regulations 2025 also list occupation codes 2463 (clergy), 3431 (sports players) and 3432 (sports coaches, instructors and officials) in the regulation 4 exemption, which the GOV.UK page and the S5 list do not show. If an exemption might apply, check regulation 4 as amended and section S5 of the guidance before assuming the charge is payable.

Many Health and Care Worker employers are in health and adult social care, but this guide does not cover how the charge applies to that route; read section S5 and the regulations for your role.

Refunds

The Home Office guidance describes refunds of the Immigration Skills Charge, normally decided within 90 days of the triggering event and paid back to the original payment method.

A full refund is made if the worker's visa application is refused or withdrawn, if it is granted but the worker never travels or starts work, if the certificate expires unused, or if the employer withdraws the certificate before use. If a refusal is followed by an administrative review request, the refund waits for the outcome, and otherwise follows the deadline for asking for one.

A partial refund can follow if the worker is granted permission for a shorter period than the certificate, moves voluntarily to another sponsor, or leaves the job early. The guidance says the first 12 months of the charge are always kept, and unused later six-month periods are refunded. Its examples: a five-year certificate for a worker granted three years refunds the final two years; a worker who changes sponsor after 18 months leads to a refund of three and a half years.

A partial refund for size is available if an employer paid the large rate after it had already told the Home Office it had become small or charitable and that change had been verified.

No refund is made if the worker changes job but stays with the same employer, switches route in the same job, moves under TUPE, the licence is made dormant or revoked, or the worker's permission is cancelled for most reasons. Licence fees and certificate fees are not covered by these refund rules.

What the employer cannot pass on to the worker

The sponsor must pay the licence fee, the certificate fee and the Immigration Skills Charge itself. GOV.UK says "Your licence may be revoked if you ask the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to your application."

The guidance (Part 1, paragraph L6.17) gives dates. For Skilled Worker, the Home Office will normally revoke the licence if the employer recoups, or attempts to recoup, the licence fee and associated administrative costs on or after 31 December 2024, or the Skilled Worker certificate fee where the certificate was assigned on or after that date. For other routes the date is 9 April 2025. The Immigration Skills Charge itself may never be recouped from the worker. Part 3 lists asking a worker to pay some or all of the charge among the circumstances in which the Home Office will normally revoke a licence.

This does not stop a worker from paying their own visa application fee and healthcare surcharge. GOV.UK's Skilled Worker pages list the application fee as £819 for up to three years or £1,618 for longer when applying from outside the UK, plus the surcharge of usually £1,035 per year of stay, and the worker needs maintenance funds unless the sponsor certifies them. The Health and Care Worker visa has lower fees and no surcharge.

Worked examples of the employer-side cost

These examples use only the figures above. They are arithmetic, not a forecast, and they leave out adviser fees, recruitment costs, wages and any priority services.

  • A small employer sponsors one Skilled Worker from abroad for three years: licence £611, certificate £525, charge £1,440. Total £2,576.
  • A medium or large employer does the same: licence £1,682, certificate £525, charge £3,960. Total £6,167.
  • A small employer sponsors three Skilled Workers from abroad, each for three years: licence £611, then three certificates at £525 and three charges at £1,440. Total £6,506.
  • A small employer sponsors one international student already holding Student permission: licence £611 and certificate £525. The charge is not payable because of the student exemption, so the total is £1,136, assuming the other conditions of the route are met.

Optional and later costs on the Home Office fee table are:

  • £750 for priority processing of a licence application, which GOV.UK says may give a decision within 10 working days, with a limited number available each day;
  • £350 for expedited processing of a sponsorship management request, such as a change of circumstances;
  • £1,579 for a sponsor action plan if the licence is downgraded to a B-rating.

GOV.UK says most licence applications are decided in under 8 weeks and that the Home Office may visit the business.

Finding a regulated adviser

Employers can run the application themselves, and the guidance says a representative may help but must not send the application for them. A representative who gives immigration advice or services must be in the UK and qualified: an IAA-registered adviser, a solicitor or another qualified person. GOV.UK explains how to find an immigration adviser, and what to check before paying.

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 is a sponsor licence in the UK?

£611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor on the Worker route, per the 8 October 2026 fee table. Temporary Worker licences are £611 for both sizes. Each Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship then costs £525.

What is the Immigration Skills Charge for a small sponsor?

£480 for up to 12 months and £240 for each further six months, so £1,440 for three years and £2,400 for five. A medium or large sponsor pays £1,320 for the first year and £660 per further six months, up to £6,600 for five years.

Can an employer make the worker pay the sponsor licence fee?

No. GOV.UK says a licence may be revoked if the employer asks the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to the application. The sponsor guidance sets dates from which recouping Skilled Worker licence and certificate fees leads to normal revocation, and the Immigration Skills Charge may never be recouped.

How long does a sponsor licence take to get?

GOV.UK says most applications are decided in less than 8 weeks and the Home Office may visit the business. A £750 priority service may give a decision within 10 working days for a limited number of applications each day.

Is the Immigration Skills Charge refundable?

In listed cases. A full refund follows a refused or withdrawn visa application, or a certificate that expires unused. Partial refunds apply if the worker gets a shorter grant or leaves early, with the first 12 months always kept. Decisions are normally made within 90 days.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • Applying for a sponsor licence: steps and documents — An employer applies online, then must email a signed submission sheet and the required documents within 5 working days. The Home Office checks the business is genuine, trading and able to meet its duties. There is no right of appeal against a refusal, and a six-month cooling-off period usually follows.
  • Sponsor licence duties: what UKVI checks — A licensed sponsor must report worker changes within 10 working days and organisation changes within 20, keep records, and comply with wider UK law. The Home Office can visit unannounced, downgrade to a B-rating with a £1,579 action plan, suspend or revoke the licence, with no right of appeal.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Sponsor licence revoked: what it means for your visa — If your sponsor loses its licence, the Immigration Rules say your permission may be cancelled. Home Office guidance says that where you were not involved, cancellation normally leaves you 60 days to apply for permission with a new sponsor or to leave. There is no appeal or administrative review against cancellation. A temporary arrangement currently protects care workers.
  • Who can represent you at an immigration appeal — At the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) you can be represented by anyone not prohibited by section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999: in practice a Level 3 IAA-registered adviser, a solicitor, a barrister or another authorised lawyer. You can also represent yourself. Judicial review in the Upper Tribunal needs a representative with rights of audience in the High Court.