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Effective Oct. 21, the U.K. Visas and Immigration office increased fees for certain expedited immigration services related to worker sponsorships.
Key Points:
Additional Information: These increases continue a broader trend of rising immigration-related costs in the U.K., including recent hikes to fees for certificates of sponsorship, skilled worker and visit visa applications and the immigration health surcharge.
This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.
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The U.K. government presented several changes to immigration rules, including changes to foreign nationals requiring a visit visa and English language requirements for certain foreign national workers. A Statement of Changes was presented to Parliament on Oct. 14, 2025.
The following outlines a few key changes:
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.
The Home Secretary introduced sweeping immigration reforms aimed at reducing net migration, tightening controls and prioritizing higher skills.
The Home Office published a white paper titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” on May 12, sharing new policies to reduce migration and strengthen the U.K.’s borders.
The Home Office is increasing certain immigration and nationality fees, effective April 9.
Additional Information: In addition, for skilled worker applications, worker sponsor license fees for medium or large sponsors will increase from £1,476 to £1,579. For visit visas, short visits up to six months will be £127, long visits up to two years will be £475, long visits up to five years will be £848 and long visits up to 10 years will be £1,059. Optional premium services (both inside and outside the U.K.) will largely remain unchanged. Businesses sponsoring employees and education institutions sponsoring students should be aware of the fee increases and take them into account in their 2025 budgets.
As BAL reported, the fee increases come after Parliament recently proposed changes to raise immigration and nationality products and service fees to generate additional revenue as part of the government’s Plan for Change and reduce reliance of the migration and borders system on taxpayer funding. Increases to the upfront immigration health surcharge were introduced last year and coincide with the Home Office removing the requirement to renew sponsor licenses for organizations automatically extending all licenses due to expire on or after April 6 for an additional 10 years. Sponsor licenses due to expire before April 6 must still apply for renewal and pay the non-recoupable fee before the expiration date.
The Home Office recently issued a statement of changes in Immigration Rules and are expected to release an Immigration White Paper soon to set out the government’s future border and immigration system core objectives. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.
The Home Office issued a statement of changes in Immigration Rules outlining key changes to the Skilled Worker route, as well as important updates to the electronic travel authorization (ETA) program and EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
Additional Information: In addition, the Home Office is making changes to the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, including eligibility expansion to children under 18 who were previously granted Leave Outside the Rules, aligning their status with their families as well as updating the quotas of Youth Mobility Scheme partner countries for 2025.
In their statement concerning the new rules prioritizing recruiting care workers, the government elaborated that the rules come as the government continues implementation of a series of measures to reduce the potential for abuse of visa routes and coincides with their plan to reduce the high levels of legal migration seen in recent years. The Home Office is expected to release an Immigration White Paper soon to set out in the government’s future border and immigration system core objectives. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.
The Home Office updated their guidance on the good character requirement, specifically certain factors that are taken into account when assessing whether a person meets this requirement when applying for British citizenship.
Additional Information: The guidance states that those who applied before Feb. 10 where illegal entry is a factor will continue to have their application reviewed to determine whether that immigration breach should be disregarded.
The guidance has also been updated to include those arriving without a required valid entry clearance or electronic travel authorization (ETA). As BAL reported, the government is currently in the process of implementing a new ETA system, and a person who applies for citizenship who has previously arrived without a required valid entry clearance or ETA and having made a dangerous journey will also now normally be refused citizenship if applying after Feb. 10. Officials clarified that a dangerous journey includes, but is not limited to, traveling by small boat or concealed in a vehicle or other conveyance but does not include arrival as a passenger with a commercial airline. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.
The U.K. government announced expired physical documentation will be accepted for international travel until June 1, 2025, for visa holders making the transition to the new eVisa system.
Additional Information: According to Home Office statistics, over four million U.K. visa holders have successfully created an account to access their eVisa, and an estimated 600,000 people have yet to switch.
The Home Office is transitioning to a new eVisa system to create a streamlined digital border and immigration system. The grace period is designed to ease the shift to the digital system and address technical issues faced by some visa holders. Officials stated that this update does not affect the way that Border Force conducts its passenger checks and that passengers will remain subject to the usual immigration checks and requirements.
Eligible European nationals will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETA) beginning March 5 and will require an ETA prior to travel to the U.K. beginning April 2.
Latest Information: BAL reported the recent Home Office announcement of a temporary exemption from obtaining an ETA for certain passengers transiting airside who do not pass through U.K. border control. The exemption is still being kept under review.
Effective Feb. 26, the government added the following points to the ETA site, including outlining that certain individuals exempt from immigration control do not need an ETA, updating the acceptable payment methods and stating that other third-party websites may charge more for an ETA but cannot provide a faster decision.
More information on who does not need an ETA can be found here. Some countries, notably China and India, are not eligible for an ETA and will continue to require a visa. An exception exists for legal residents of Ireland traveling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. Also, European nationals who have permission to live, work or study, including settled or pre-settled status — European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS), are not required to obtain an ETA. The Home Office is currently automatically converting eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status without the need for them to make a further EUSS application.
Finally, an ETA does not guarantee entry to the U.K. and all visitors must still meet the suitability requirements for entry under visitor rules. Employees and employers should be aware of the upcoming changes and prepare now for travel or transit through the United Kingdom. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.
The Home Office announced the U.K.-India Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) 2025 ballot will open Feb. 18.
Additional Information: Officials also stated that applicants must have a qualification at a U.K. bachelor’s degree level or above and have proof of £2,530 (about US$3,173) in savings as financial support to be eligible. More information on the eligibility requirements can be found here. Those selected from the ballot will be notified via email within two weeks of the ballot closing and will be invited to apply for the visa.
Launched in February 2023, authorities stated that over 2,100 YPS visas were issued to Indian nationals that year under the scheme. For British nationals looking to travel to India under the scheme, official guidance can be found here.