UK Immigration Fee Rises From 4 October 2023

The UK Government has confirmed substantial immigration fee rises will apply from 9:00 am on 4 October 2023. The fee for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has also been set at £10. In this article we focus on what these changes mean for employers.

The application and priority service fee rises implement the Government's announcement in July 2023. The date that the Immigration Health Surcharge is due to rise is still unknown, however the Home Office's press release suggests this will be later in Autumn 2023.

What can employers do to minimise the impact of the rises?

We would suggest employers who sponsor workers should consider taking the following actions:

• Review the sponsorship pipeline and submit applications for initial sponsorship, extension and/or settlement ahead of the fee rises wherever possible