What does an employer pay to sponsor a worker?
The UK doesn’t issue a “work permit” as such — employers sponsor workers on the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker route. The employer pays three Home Office charges: the sponsor licence fee (once), the Certificate of Sponsorship fee and the Immigration Skills Charge (per worker). The worker usually pays their own visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge, although many employers choose to cover these as a hiring incentive.
Sponsor licence
£611 / £1,682
Small / medium or large, one-off
Certificate of Sponsorship
£525
Per worker
Immigration Skills Charge
£480 / £1,320
Per worker, per year
Covering the worker’s visa and health surcharge
Many employers pay the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge as part of a relocation package. The IHS is £1,035 a year for each adult and £776 for each child, paid up front for the whole visa — so a family of four on a 5-year visa costs over £18,000 in IHS alone. Health and Care Worker visa holders and their families are exempt. If you pay these costs, a clawback clause can recover them if the worker leaves early — but you can never recover the sponsor licence fee, CoS fee or Immigration Skills Charge.
Keeping the cost down
- Check whether the role is exempt from the Immigration Skills Charge
- Assign certificates for the length of employment you actually need
- Keep your sponsor duties up to date to avoid a B-rating action plan
- Track visa expiry dates early so extensions don’t need priority fees
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Immigration Health Surcharge for a sponsored worker?
The IHS is £1,035 a year for each adult and £776 a year for each child under 18, paid up front for the full length of the visa. It is charged in half-year blocks: 6 months or less over a whole year counts as half a year, and more than 6 months counts as a full year. Health and Care Worker visa holders and their dependants do not pay it.
How much does it cost to sponsor a worker in the UK?
For a small sponsor hiring one Skilled Worker for 3 years, the mandatory employer costs are the £611 sponsor licence fee (if you do not have one), the £525 Certificate of Sponsorship fee and £1,440 Immigration Skills Charge — about £2,576. For a medium or large sponsor the equivalent is about £6,167. Visa and health surcharge fees are extra if you choose to pay them.
Can an employer pass sponsorship costs on to the worker?
No. The sponsor licence fee, Certificate of Sponsorship fee and Immigration Skills Charge must be paid by the employer and cannot be recovered from the worker. The worker’s own visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge can be paid by either party.
What is the Immigration Skills Charge?
The Immigration Skills Charge is paid by the sponsor when assigning a certificate of sponsorship. It is £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each further 6 months for small or charitable sponsors, or £1,320 and £660 for medium and large sponsors.
Who is exempt from the Immigration Skills Charge?
The charge does not apply to PhD-level occupations, workers switching from a Student visa inside the UK, or dependants. Some Global Business Mobility transfers are also exempt.
Do I need to renew my sponsor licence?
Licences due to expire on or after 6 April 2024 were automatically extended by 10 years, so most sponsors no longer need to renew every 4 years. The licence can still be downgraded, suspended or revoked if sponsor duties are not met.
Official sources
- Apply for a sponsor licence: fees
- Certificates of sponsorship
- Immigration Skills Charge
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees: 8 April 2026
- Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application (IHS)
Rules and fees checked September 2026. Immigration rules change often — this tool gives general information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on an individual case, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or one of the firms listed here.