A Delegated Legislation Committee met on 12 November to review the draft Immigration Skills Charge (Amendment) Regulations 2025. The statutory instrument proposes a 20 % increase in the levy paid by employers when issuing Certificates of Sponsorship for skilled-worker visas—from £1,000 to £1,200 per year per sponsored employee (small sponsors would pay £480).
Home Office ministers argued the hike is necessary to ‘incentivise domestic training’ and to fund further investment in the UK Skills Fund. Opposition MPs questioned whether higher upfront costs would deter SMEs from accessing international talent and called for exemptions for shortage-occupation roles.
![MPs debate rise in Immigration Skills Charge for sponsors]()
If the Regulations pass both Houses—as is likely under the negative-resolution procedure—they will apply to all Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after 1 April 2026. Employers with large graduate-intake programmes or extensive intra-company transfer populations should therefore consider bringing forward assignments or budgeting for the higher charge.
Global mobility teams should also note proposed wording that would require sponsors to certify attempts to recruit settled workers before assigning a certificate—effectively re-introducing an element of the Resident Labour Market Test abolished in 2020.
The committee will publish its report next week; a short plenary debate could still be scheduled if sufficient MPs object, but businesses should plan on the assumption that the fee rise will take effect.
Home Office ministers argued the hike is necessary to ‘incentivise domestic training’ and to fund further investment in the UK Skills Fund. Opposition MPs questioned whether higher upfront costs would deter SMEs from accessing international talent and called for exemptions for shortage-occupation roles.
If the Regulations pass both Houses—as is likely under the negative-resolution procedure—they will apply to all Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after 1 April 2026. Employers with large graduate-intake programmes or extensive intra-company transfer populations should therefore consider bringing forward assignments or budgeting for the higher charge.
Global mobility teams should also note proposed wording that would require sponsors to certify attempts to recruit settled workers before assigning a certificate—effectively re-introducing an element of the Resident Labour Market Test abolished in 2020.
The committee will publish its report next week; a short plenary debate could still be scheduled if sufficient MPs object, but businesses should plan on the assumption that the fee rise will take effect.
