The UK Government has announced a number of immigration and nationality fee increases that may take effect in 2025, impacting both British businesses and individuals.
These changes have been proposed to ‘reduce the reliance of the migration and borders system on taxpayer funding’.
The updates are as follows:
These changes are forecasted to generate an additional £269 million per year, however, no dates have been confirmed yet as to when these price increases will take place.
The ETA aims to enhance pre-arrival screening of non-visa nationals who wish to enter the UK for short stays, or who don’t already have a UK immigration status.
An ETA currently costs £10 and allows for multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time.
The change proposes increasing the ETA fee from £10 to £16.
A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is required for each overseas worker employed by a business. This is an electronic record that is used in the process of a Skilled Worker applying for a visa.
The change proposes increasing the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee from £239 to £525.
Find out more about Skilled Worker routes
British Citizenship by Naturalisation fees are also set to increase.
Individuals who have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK may be eligible to apply to naturalise as a British Citizen.
The change proposes increasing the applying for naturalisation as a British Citizen fee from £1,500 to £1,605 and increasing the applying for naturalisation as a British Overseas Territories Citizen fee from £1,000 to £1,070.
Whilst there are no dates specified for these increases, there are some steps that can be taken to help mitigate the impact of these.
We recommend that employers take this time to review any overseas recruitment processes and planning in preparation for future increases, particularly when assigning Certificates of Sponsorship to Skilled Workers.
If you’re looking for support with UK immigration, speak to our team of specialists for more information on how Five Star can help you.
Don’t navigate the complexities of immigration alone. Let our specialists guide you towards a successful outcome.
