There are a number of costs involved with sponsoring a foreign worker. A company has to pay for the sponsor licence, the certificate of sponsorship (CoS), the Immigration Skills Charge and other fees depending on the company.
How much does a sponsorship licence cost?
The sponsorship licence cost depends on the type of licence you need and the type of business you have.
“Small” and charitable sponsors pay a lower fee whilst “medium” sponsors pay a higher one. Charitable sponsors are registered charities. Small sponsors are those that can satisfy at least two of the following points:
- The company’s annual turnover is £10.2 million or less
- The company’s combined total assets are worth £5.1 million or less
- The company has 50 employees or less
The type of licence you need will be determined by the type of worker you want to hire whether temporary or more long term.
For a small or charitable company, the following fees apply:
- Worker licence (long-term worker): £536
- Temporary workers licence: £536
For a medium-sized company, the following fees apply:
- Worker licence (long-term worker): £1476
- Temporary workers licence: £536
In addition, if you want to get a faster decision within 10 working days (as opposed to 8 weeks), then you will need to pay an extra charge of £500 for the premium service.
How much does a certificate of sponsorship cost?
In order to hire a migrant worker, a certificate of sponsorship will need to be assigned to each individual worker. The cost of the certificate of sponsorship will depend on the type of licence you have.
- £199 for (long-term) Workers (not including those on the International Sportsperson visa)
- £21 for Temporary Workers
- £199 for an International Sportsperson (12 months or more)
- £21 for an International Sportsperson (12 months or less)
How much is the Immigration Skills Charge?
The Immigration Skills Charge is applicable to most foreign worker applications but there are some exceptions.
The following fees apply to small and charitable companies:
- Up to the first 12 months of the visa, this will cost £364
- Each 6-month period after this will cost £182
The following fees apply to medium or large companies:
- Up to the first 12 months of the visa, this will cost £1000
- Each 6-month period after this will cost £500
Cost of certifying maintenance
When a worker is applying for a visa, they must meet the maintenance requirement by showing that they have at least £1270 that they have held for at least 28 days in their bank account.
Sometimes, a sponsor may certify the applicant’s maintenance, which means that they confirm that they will maintain the applicant (and any dependants) for the first month of employment.