Guide

Sponsor licence and sponsorship costs

Sponsorship cost is more than the licence fee. Budget for CoS, Immigration Skills Charge (ISC), the worker’s visa and Immigration Health Surcharge, plus internal time and usually legal fees.

Use the international hiring cost planner for a planning estimate. Fees change — verify on GOV.UK.

This is general information for employers, not legal or immigration advice. Rules, fees, and thresholds change — confirm the current position on official government sites before you act.

Last reviewed: 2026-07-28

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01

Guide section

Cost building blocks

Illustrative categories — not a live fee schedule

Item	Who usually pays	Notes
Sponsor licence fee	Employer	Varies by organisation size / type
Certificate of Sponsorship	Employer	Assigned per worker
Immigration Skills Charge	Employer	Usually based on visa length & sponsor size
Visa application fee	Often worker (sometimes employer)	Depends on route and length
Immigration Health Surcharge	Often worker (sometimes employer)	Usually tied to visa length
Legal / advisory fees	Employer	Optional but common for first licences

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Guide section

How to brief finance

Present a per-hire total and a fixed licence setup cost separately. Finance teams underestimate ISC and IHS more often than the licence fee itself.

Model it live

Open the international hiring cost planner with your sponsor size and visa length assumptions.

Next step

Put this into action on Global Sponsor Hub

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What's next

Related guides and links

More on this site: related guides, official government pages to double-check rules and fees, and quick links to jobs and partners.

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Official sources

Always verify with official sources

Visa rules and salary thresholds change. Confirm current requirements directly on government immigration portals before making any decisions.

Source	Why open it
UK — sponsor licence fees	Official government or regulator page—verify eligibility, fees, and forms there.

Official government or regulator page—verify eligibility, fees, and forms there.

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Common questions

Are small sponsors cheaper?+

Often yes for licence and ISC rates, subject to the official definition of a small sponsor. Confirm your category before budgeting.