How much does a sponsor licence cost? What the employer pays, and what you never pay
Most pages about sponsor licence costs are written for employers. This one is for you, the worker. It shows what a sponsor pays the Home Office, which of those costs can never be passed to you, and what you do pay yourself. Every figure is from GOV.UK, with the link.
The sponsor licence
To sponsor anyone, a company first needs a licence from the Home Office. For a Worker licence, the one that covers the Skilled Worker visa, the fee is £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large one.
GOV.UK says a company is usually small if at least two of these apply: turnover of £15 million or less, total assets of £7.5 million or less, 50 employees or fewer.
The certificate of sponsorship
For each Skilled Worker it hires, the sponsor assigns a certificate of sponsorship. The fee is £525 per certificate.
The Immigration Skills Charge
On top of the certificate, most sponsors pay the Immigration Skills Charge for each worker. A small or charitable sponsor pays £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each extra 6 months. A medium or large sponsor pays £1,320 for the first 12 months and £660 for each extra 6 months.
So for a three year visa, the charge alone is £1,440 at a small sponsor and £3,960 at a large one. Some occupation codes and some people switching from a student visa are exempt.
None of this can be passed to you
GOV.UK tells sponsors: you must pay the immigration skills charge yourself. And on both the certificate and the charge it warns that a licence may be revoked if the sponsor asks the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to its application.
So if anyone asks you to pay for a sponsor licence, a certificate of sponsorship or the skills charge, whether in cash, from your wages or through an agent, the job is not safe. Selling a certificate of sponsorship is a crime.
What you do pay yourself
These are fees paid to the Home Office, on GOV.UK, in your own name. Never to an agent or an employer.
- The visa application fee. From outside the UK: £819 for up to 3 years, £1,618 for more than 3 years. From inside the UK: £943 and £1,865.
- The healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year.
- Proof of £1,270 in savings, unless your sponsor certifies on your certificate of sponsorship that it will cover up to £1,270 of your costs in your first month.
What we do
Every job on SponsorJobUK is at a company that holds a Home Office sponsor licence today, checked against the register every morning. Checking a company is free.
Check a company on the sponsor registerSkilled Worker jobs at licensed sponsorsWhich jobs qualify for the visa
Questions people ask
How much does a sponsor licence cost in the UK?
For a Worker licence, £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor. Each Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship then costs £525, plus the Immigration Skills Charge.
Can my employer make me pay the sponsorship costs?
No. GOV.UK says a sponsor's licence may be revoked if it asks the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to its application, and that the sponsor must pay the Immigration Skills Charge itself.
What do I pay for a Skilled Worker visa?
Your own visa application fee, the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year, and proof of £1,270 in savings unless your sponsor certifies maintenance. You pay these to the Home Office, never to an agent.
