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The UK Home Office announced a significant increase in visa and immigration application fees yesterday afternoon, set to apply to applications made from 9 April 2025. This adjustment will impact nearly all visa categories, including visit visas, worker routes student routes, indefinite leave to remain applications, nationality applications, CoS assignments and also sponsor licence applications.

Below, we outline the key changes and their implications for applicants and sponsoring businesses. The application fee for dependants is the same as for the main applicant.

Key Visa Fee Increases

Visit Visas:
Standard 6-month visit visa: £115 → £127 (+£12)
2-year visit visa: £432 → £475 (+£43)
5-year visit visa: £771 → £848 (+£77)
10-year visit visa: £963 → £1,059 (+£96)

Student Visas:
Student visa (inside and outside the UK): £490 → £524 (+£34)
Child student visa: £490 → £524 (+£34)
Skilled Worker & Senior and Specialist Worker Visa

Applications made outside the UK:
Up to 3 years: £719 → £769 (+£50)
More than 3 years: £1,420 → £1,519 (+£99)

Applications made inside the UK:
Up to 3 years: £827 → £885 (+£58)
More than 3 years: £1,636 → £1,751 (+£115)

Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa or a job on the Immigration Salary List:
Up to 3 years (inside and outside the UK): £284 → £304 (+£20)
More than 3 years (inside and outside the UK): £551 → £590 (+£39)

Other Global Mobility Routes

Graduate Trainee, Service Supplier, UK Expansion Worker, Secondment Worker:
£298 → £319 (+£21), applied to applications made inside and outside the UK

Global Talent Visa:
Approval letter from endorsing body: £524 → £561 (+£37)
Application (with approval letter required): £192 → £205 (+£13)

Innovator Founder Visa:
Outside the UK: £1,191 → £1,274 (+£83)
Inside the UK: £1,486 → £1,590 (+£104)
Approval letter from endorsing body (no change)

High Potential Individual Visa:
Application £822 → £880 (+£58)

Naturalisation & Registration:
British citizenship application (Naturalisation): £1,500 → £1,605 (+£105)
Adult Registration as a British Citizen: £1,351 → £1,446 (+£95)
Child Registration as a British Citizen: £1,214 (no change)

Indefinite Leave to Remain:
ILR application fee: £2,885 → £3,029 (+£144).

Sponsor Licence Application Fees
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: £536 → £574 (+£38)
Large Sponsors: £1,476 → £1,579 (+£103)

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Fees:
CoS for Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, and International Sportsperson (Over 12 months): £239 → £525 (+£286) – this is an over 100% increase
CoS for Temporary Worker & International Sportsperson (Up to 12 months): £25 → £55 (+£30)

Priority & Super Priority Services:
Currently, Priority Visa (£500) and Super Priority Visa (£1,000) fees remain unchanged, which is a positive outcome for applicants seeking faster processing times.

Impact on Applicants

Visa fees are a major revenue source for the UK Home Office. The government continues to adjust these fees in line with inflation and policy changes. The UK government has justified these fee increases as necessary to sustain the country’s immigration system and reduce reliance on taxpayer funding. However, the rising costs impose additional financial burdens on applicants, particularly those applying for settlement and citizenship, as well as on employers who choose to sponsor migrant workers.