Home Office Confirms 8 April Fee Hike Across UK Visa Categories

In a brief update posted on 23 March 2026, the Home Office has confirmed that most UK immigration and nationality fees will rise on 8 April 2026. While some increases were trailed in last autumn’s Spending Review, the department has now published the definitive schedule, giving applicants just over two weeks to file under the old tariff. Headlines include a £57 increase for the popular Graduate Route (to £937), a broad 7 % rise for work and family visas and a 10 % jump for short-stay visitor visas. Sponsorship costs are also climbing: the cost of issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship will rise from £239 to £525—a steep 120 % uplift driven, the government says, by the need to fund compliance monitoring and the expansion of the Sponsorship Management System.



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For employers, the timing is awkward. Many HR teams were already scrambling to adjust to the new Skilled-Worker salary thresholds that came into force this month. The additional fee burden—particularly on intra-company transfers and secondments—will need fresh budget approvals. Experts at major immigration law firms are advising clients to front-load filings and, where possible, pay for biometrics appointments before 8 April. "With Easter holidays approaching, available submission slots will evaporate fast," one adviser warned. Individual migrants should also note parallel rises in the Immigration Health Surcharge, which will climb to £1,145 per adult per year from the same date. Students and children will continue to receive a 25 % discount. The Home Office insists the increases are necessary to move the immigration system closer to full cost recovery, but business-lobby groups argue the UK is becoming one of the most expensive destinations for skilled talent. A joint letter from tech-sector CEOs calls for a wholesale review of fee-setting methodology, warning that "spiralling upfront costs risk pricing high-growth start-ups out of the global talent race."