UK visa fees calculator

Every fee in a sponsored hire, split by who pays it: the CoS and Skills Charge for you, the visa fee and Health Surcharge for your candidate.

What the calculator includes

One sponsored hire triggers four separate fees, and they land on different people. The employer legally pays the £525 Certificate of Sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge, which rose 32% on 16 December 2025 (£1,320 a year for medium or large sponsors, £480 for small or charitable ones). The candidate pays the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge at £1,035 a year, though many employers choose to cover them.

The calculator itemises all four for your role, sponsor size, visa length and family members, and shows who pays what.

Immigration Skills Charge calculator

The Immigration Skills Charge applies to most Skilled Worker hires and is the employer's to pay by law. Current rates: £1,320 for the first 12 months and £660 per further six months for medium or large sponsors, £480 then £240 for small or charitable ones. Workers switching from a Student visa inside the UK and Health and Care Worker visa holders are exempt. Set your sponsor size and visa length above and the calculator applies the right rate. Full detail in our Immigration Skills Charge guide.

Immigration Health Surcharge calculator

The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year of visa, per person, paid upfront with the application. It multiplies quickly: a three-year visa with a partner and one child is nine person-years of surcharge. Add dependants above and the calculator totals it for you.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to sponsor a worker in the UK?

For a typical three-year Skilled Worker hire at a small sponsor: £525 CoS plus £1,440 ISC for the employer, and roughly £819 visa fee plus £3,105 IHS for the candidate. Around £5,900 all in, before priority services.

Who pays which fees?

The employer must pay the CoS and the ISC by law, and can't pass them on. The visa fee and IHS are the candidate's, but employers often cover them.

What is the Immigration Skills Charge in 2026?

£1,320 per year of sponsorship for medium or large sponsors, £480 for small or charitable ones, after a 32% rise in December 2025. Some hires are exempt.

Is the Immigration Health Surcharge refundable?

If the visa application is refused or withdrawn, the IHS is refunded. It isn't refunded if the worker leaves early.

Keep reading

Getting a licence first? Use the sponsor licence calculator. Checking a salary? Use the Skilled Worker salary calculator. For the rules behind the fees, read the ISC guide.