UK Immigration Fee Hikes: What You Need to Know in 2025

Written by

Darakasha Singh

Fact check by

Divyansh Chaudhari

Updated on

Jan 30,2025

UK Immigration Fee Hikes: What You Need to Know in 2025 - TerraTern

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Key Highlights

Recent United Kingdom government decisions to boost immigration and nationality-related service fees signal a transformative shift in national migration policy. The proposed changes, which will be implemented in 2025, affect all British immigration activity, permanently altering visa prices and system procedures for migrants alongside employers and visitors to the country.

 

Key Changes in UK Immigration Fees

Here are the key changes in the UK immigration fees:

1. Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Fee Increase

One of the most significant changes is the proposed increase in the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee for work routes:

  • CoS fees for worker routes face a major increase as the Home Office plans to lift the current fee from £239 to £525.

  • Small sub-routes as well as temporary workers, will experience their CoS fee escalating from £25 to £55.

Home Office projections suggest the implemented CoS fee hike will bring in an extra £111 million in revenue by the 2025/26 fiscal year.

Also Read:  Dream Big and Get Your UK Work Visa for Indians

2. Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Fee Hike

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, introduced in Autumn 2023, is also facing a fee increase:

  • The new maximum Electronic Travel Authorization expense will now cost £16 instead of its previous fee of £15 per traveler.

  • Additional revenues of £140 million will be available to the Home Office from the fee increase in the upcoming 2025/26 financial year.

3. Naturalisation and Citizenship Fees

The cost of becoming a British citizen is set to rise significantly:

  • Starting February 19th, 2022 British citizenship applications for naturalisation will require applicants to pay a fee of £1,605.

  • Those applying for British Overseas Territories Citizenship must pay £1,070 in fees.

  • British citizenship renunciation fees are expected to increase to an amount of £482.

4. Other Notable Fee Increases

Several other immigration and nationality services will see fee hikes:

  • Amendments to citizenship certificates: Fee increase to £428

  • Administrative review: Fee rise to £482

  • Right of abode documentation: Fee increase to £589

Impact of Fee Hike on Employers and Sponsored Workers

UK organizations accessing foreign talent face major financial consequences from this substantial rise in CoS fees. Organizations operating through the Skilled Worker route will experience enhanced costs in their visa sponsorship expenditures for each worker they support. This change may lead to:

  • Increased hiring costs for businesses

  • Potential reduction in the number of sponsored workers

  • Many businesses will now need to place a stronger focus on training British workers alongside conducting local recruitment.

To accommodate the fee rise, employers must integrate it into their budgetary plans and recruitment frameworks beyond the next few years.

Also Read: UK Visitor Visa: Complete Application and Guidelines

Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme

While not directly related to the fee increases, it's worth noting some recent changes to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) that will affect European nationals in the UK:

  • Beginning January 2025, the Home Office will initiate an automated process to move Pre-Settled Status holders from European Union nations into Settled Status.

  • Initially, the new transition will process individuals who possess accessible government records, including national insurance documentation.

  • Settled Status applications will be mandatory for those who do not have accessible government-held information records.

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme

The ETA scheme, introduced in 2023, is an important part of the UK's evolving immigration landscape:

  • Visitors to the UK for any purpose must fulfill the ETA requirements before their arrival.

  • All visitors to the UK will face additional expenses after the planned fee increase sets the rate at £16 per applicant.

Right to Work Changes and Student Visa Updates

The immigration landscape continues to evolve in other areas as well:

  • There have been updates to the right-to-work check processes.

  • Recent changes have been made for those on student or graduate visas looking to switch to work-based visas.

 

Conclusion

The future immigration service costs set for 2025 implementation mark an intricate evolution of British governance approaches toward border management and immigration policy. The introduction of increased fees aims to lessen tax-financed immigration services. Nevertheless, it presents major obstacles for UK immigration system users who must create thorough strategies and maintain flexibility to handle the upcoming migration and deployment choices.

To know more about the latest immigration news of the UK and other countries, you must contact TerraTern right away!

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Darakasha Singh

Content Marketing Specialist

Darakasha Singh is a passionate content-writing enthusiast at TerraTern, where she contributes insightful articles on a range of critical topics, with a particular focus on immigration and education. She has more than five years of experience in the field and has been a part of several organizations that work toward education, cultural exchange, and immigration. Darakasha's writing is not only informative but also empathetic, reflecting her commitment to providing readers with content that is both useful and engaging. At TerraTern, she has quickly become a valued team member, known for her meticulous research, engaging prose, and unwavering dedication to empowering others through knowledge.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When are these new immigration fees planned to enter into force?

The new immigration fees await approval by parliament before their anticipated implementation in April 2025.

How expensive will the Certificate of Sponsorship fee gain in value during this change?

The upcoming increase of the CoS fee for worker routes from £239 to £525 will raise costs by more than 100 percent.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) operates under a potential fee adjustment.

ETA ticket fees will face a prospective price rise which would boost charges from £10 to £16 for every person making an application.

What adjustments do the EU Settlement Scheme currently undergo?

From January 2025 a planned transition process will automatically transfer select individuals who have Pre-settled Status into Settled Status.

How will these changes affect employers sponsoring foreign workers?

Employers must expect to pay notable escalating fees for importing foreign workers because these costs could affect both their recruiting approach and funding capabilities.