UK Sponsor Licence Cost Calculator

Model the 5-year cost of a UK Skilled Worker sponsor licence: application fee, Immigration Skills Charge, CoS fees and mock-audit budget for SMEs and large employers.

Wesbridge Associates is an IAA-regulated UK immigration law firm. Our advisers support individuals, families and UK sponsors with skilled worker visas, sponsor licences, family routes, settlement (ILR), British citizenship, appeals and compliance — combining experienced legal advice with AI-powered self-service tools.

The Wesbridge Associates sponsor licence calculator estimates the true first-year and ongoing cost of holding a UK Skilled Worker sponsor licence, including the Home Office application fee, Certificate of Sponsorship fee for each hire, the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC), Priority service and typical professional fees. It also flags likely eligibility issues — small vs medium/large sponsor status, HR system readiness and the key personnel roles that must be in place before submitting.

What it estimates

Enter your company size (small/charitable sponsor vs medium or large, based on Companies Act thresholds — turnover, balance sheet and headcount), the number of overseas hires planned in year one, the length of each Certificate of Sponsorship in years, and whether you need Priority processing. The tool returns the sponsor licence application fee (£574 small/charitable, £1,579 medium/large), the CoS fee per assignment, the Immigration Skills Charge (£364 per year small/charitable or £1,000 per year medium/large, with the first 12 months paid upfront and the balance in six-month blocks), any Priority service fees, and an indicative professional fee for a full-service Wesbridge application.

What the inputs mean

Small or charitable sponsor status applies if you meet at least two of: annual turnover under £15m, balance sheet under £7.5m, fewer than 50 employees, or you are a registered charity — this roughly halves ongoing ISC costs. CoS length is the visa length you plan to grant on each assignment (typically up to five years). Priority service (currently £500 per licence application) can cut the standard 8-week Home Office decision time to around 10 working days but daily slots are limited and released each morning.

Eligibility checks the tool runs

You need a genuine UK-registered trading entity with a UK bank account, evidence of trading history or authorised regulator status, a compliant HR system that can track absences, right-to-work and reporting obligations, and named UK-based key personnel: an Authorising Officer (senior and settled or British), a Level 1 User (day-to-day CoS management) and a Key Contact. The calculator flags any missing role so you can address it before applying.

Ongoing compliance costs

The licence itself is valid for 10 years with no separate renewal fee under current rules, but the real recurring cost is compliance: HR audit tools, right-to-work checks, sponsor management system administration, mandatory reporting within Home Office deadlines, and internal or external mock audits before any UKVI compliance visit. The calculator adds a suggested annual compliance budget so you see the true total cost of holding the licence, not just the sticker price.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay the Immigration Skills Charge for every worker?

The ISC applies to Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker (GBM) CoS assignments. It is not charged for Health and Care Worker CoS, for roles on eligible PhD-level occupation codes, or for in-country switches from the Student route where the applicant is graduating. The calculator applies the correct exemption when you tick the relevant option.

Can costs be passed on to the worker?

No. It is a breach of the sponsor duties (and can lead to licence revocation) to pass on the sponsor licence application fee, the CoS fee or the Immigration Skills Charge to the sponsored worker. The Immigration Health Surcharge and the worker's own visa fee are the worker's responsibility unless you choose to reimburse them.

How long does the licence application take?

Standard processing is currently around 8 weeks from a complete submission. Priority processing (limited daily slots) reduces this to roughly 10 working days. Add time for pre-submission preparation, key personnel checks and any Home Office compliance visit before or after the decision.

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Book a paid immigration consultation or contact our team for tailored advice.