UK Visa Fees set to rise from 8 April 2026. What should sponsors and applicants keep in mind?

The UK Home Office has confirmed that it will be increasing various visa, immigration and nationality fees starting from 8 April 2026.

The changes will impact a wide range of visa categories, settlement routes, sponsorship costs, and citizenship applications.

In this article, we at A2Z Immigration break down the key fee increases, highlight the most affected routes, and explore what these changes mean in practice.

A widespread increase across visa categories

The latest update to the Visa Fees is notable not because of any single increase, but due to the fact that nearly all major visa categories have been raised. These include visit visas, work route visas and student visas.

For short-term visitors, the standard 6-month visit visa will increase from £127 to £135. Longer-term visit visas will see higher jumps, with the 10-year visit visa rising from £1,059 to £1,128.

Simultaneously, the 2-year and 5-year visit visas will be increased from £475 to £506 and from £848 to £903, respectively.

While these increases may individually seem modest, they can add up significantly for those who travel frequently or families applying together.

Similarly, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which is increasingly relevant for non-visa nationals, will rise from £16 to £20.

Skilled Worker and Work Visa Fee increases

Possibly the most important areas affected under the latest changes are the Skilled Worker route, which remains the primary pathway for overseas recruitment into the UK.

For applications made outside the UK:

• Skilled Worker Visas (under 3 years), the fees will increase from £769 to £819
• Skilled Worker Visas (over 3 years), the fees will increase from £1,519 to £1,618

For Skilled Workers applying from inside the UK:

• Fees will increase from £885 to £943 (under 3 years)
• Fees will increase from £1,751 to £1,865 (over 3 years)

Regarding roles that are on the Immigration Salary List, they will benefit from slightly lower fees, but even these have increased.

Applicants under the Immigration Salary List will now pay:

• For visas under 3 years, the fees will increase from £590 to £628
• For visas over 3 years, the fees will increase from £1,160 to £1,235

Other work routes that will also be affected:

• Innovator Founder visa fees increase from £1274 to £1357
• Scale-up visa fees rise from £880 to £937
• Temporary Worker routes increase from £319 to £340

Employers sponsoring multiple Skilled Workers will, unfortunately, have to endure the rising cumulative costs. In many ways, the changes are meant to discourage the hiring of Skilled Workers from outside the UK.

Students and Graduates

International students will also be affected by the April 2026 changes. The standard student Visa Fee will increase from £524 to £558, both for applications made inside and outside the UK.

For graduates switching into post-study routes, the Graduate visa fee rises from £880 to £937. This continues a pattern of rising costs for international students at every stage of their UK journey.

Settlement and Indefinite Leave to Remain

The cost of settlement continues to significantly go up. Applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) will now see the fees increased from £3,029 to £3,226. This applies across multiple categories, including dependents and certain specialised routes.

These figures reinforce the already substantial financial barrier to long-term settlement in the UK.

Nationality and Citizenship Fees

British citizenship applications are also becoming more expensive. Naturalisation fees increase from £1,605 to £1,709, while nationality registration for adults rises from £1,446 to £1,540.

Interestingly, there is one notable exception: the fee for registering a child as a British citizen has seen a decrease from £1,214 to £1,000. This is one of the few reductions in the entire fee schedule and may reflect policy adjustments following ongoing scrutiny of child citizenship costs.

Sponsorship costs for employers

UK employers will also need to account for higher sponsorship costs. Sponsor licence fees are increasing across the board:

• Large sponsor licence fees rise from £1,579 to £1,682
• Small sponsor licence fees increase from £574 to £611

Notably, the cost of assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) remains unchanged at £525 for Skilled Workers, which provides some stability for employers managing ongoing recruitment pipelines.

What does this all mean for applicants and sponsors?

The April 2026 fee increases reinforce a clear trend. The cost of coming to, staying in, studying in, and settling in the UK is steadily rising.

For applicants, this means:

• Higher upfront costs at every stage of the immigration journey
• Greater financial planning is required, especially for families
• Increased overall cost of settlement and citizenship

For employers, the implications include:

• Higher recruitment costs when sponsoring overseas workers
• Increased budget considerations for long-term workforce planning
• Potential impact on talent acquisition strategies, particularly for smaller businesses

Conclusion

While none of the individual increases is especially dramatic, the cumulative effect is significant. The rising cost of UK immigration is becoming a central consideration for migrants and sponsors alike.

With further changes to immigration policy expected in the near future, including potential reforms to settlement timelines and salary thresholds, businesses and applicants should remain proactive.

Early planning, accurate budgeting, and professional guidance will be more important than ever in navigating the UK’s evolving immigration landscape.

If you are someone applying to study, settle or work in the UK or are an employer who is struggling to figure out how to adapt to the latest changes, reach out to A2Z Immigration today for a free consultation.