Free tool
UK Skilled Worker visa cost calculator
Work out what a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa costs in 2026, for the worker and for the sponsor. Enter the salary, visa length, route and employer size, and see the application fee, health surcharge, Immigration Skills Charge, certificate of sponsorship and the real cost to employ. 2026 fees; nothing is saved.
The role
Worker take-home
£2,795 /mo
£33,544 a year
Cost to employ
£47,205 /yr
salary plus employer NI
What the worker pays, up front
What the sponsor pays, up front
The sponsor must pay the skills charge and the certificate itself. A licence can be revoked for asking the worker to cover them. Estimate only, using fees from 8 April 2026; the Home Office usually changes them each April.
Want the detail behind the numbers?
Our plain-English guide breaks down every cost, who pays it, and the rules that decide who pays what.
Read the full guideCommon questions
Who pays the Immigration Skills Charge and the certificate of sponsorship?
The sponsor pays both in full when it assigns the certificate of sponsorship. The Home Office can revoke a licence if the employer asks the worker to pay either of them, or any cost linked to its sponsor application.
How much is the Immigration Skills Charge in 2026?
For a medium or large sponsor it is £1,320 for the first year and £660 for each extra six months, up to £6,600 over five years. For a small or charitable sponsor it is £480 for the first year and £240 for each extra six months, up to £2,400. It is not charged for dependants or for a short list of science and research roles.
How much is the Skilled Worker application fee?
Applying from outside the UK it is £819 for up to three years and £1,618 for more than three years. From inside the UK it is £943 and £1,865. A job on the Immigration Salary List pays the lower £628 or £1,235, inside or outside the UK.
Is the Health and Care Worker visa cheaper?
Yes. The application fee is £324 for up to three years and £628 for longer, and neither the worker nor their dependants pay the health surcharge at all.
How much is the health surcharge?
£1,035 a year for each adult and £776 a year for each child under 18, paid in full up front for the length of the visa. The Health and Care Worker visa is exempt.
This is an estimate using the Home Office fees in force from 8 April 2026 and the 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland sets its own income tax bands. It does not replace a quote from the Home Office or professional immigration advice.
Sponsor with confidence
Empliora tracks every certificate of sponsorship, visa date and right to work check in one place, and reminds you before anything falls due, so your licence stays safe.