The cost of coming to the United Kingdom is about to jump sharply for visitors, workers, students and family-route migrants after the Home Office confirmed a sweeping increase in visa charges that will take effect on 8 April 2026. Under the new tariff the standard six-month visitor visa will go up £8 to £135, while a two-year multiple-entry visitor visa will rise £31 to £506. Long-term visit visas, popular with frequent business travellers, will see double-digit percentage increases across the board, with the 10-year option breaking the four-figure mark at £1,128.
![UK visa application fees to rise by up to £222 from 8 April]()
If you’re unsure which visa route best fits your plans or need help beating the fee rise, VisaHQ’s UK team can steer you through every step. The online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) lets individuals and corporate mobility managers compare categories, upload documents for compliance checks and submit applications directly, reducing the risk of costly errors and missed deadlines.
Work routes are also affected: Skilled Worker applications lodged overseas will climb to £819 (up from £769) for visas of up to three years, and settlement (Indefinite Leave) application fees will breach the £2,000 threshold (£2,064). Corporate mobility managers need to budget for higher upfront costs and to review cost-sharing arrangements with assignees. Employers that sponsor large intakes of international graduates or intra-company transferees could see six-figure additions to their mobility budgets once dependants are factored in. With the Government signalling that further increases cannot be ruled out, many businesses are accelerating Q2 filings to beat the deadline, and immigration advisers are urging applicants to pay and submit biometrics as soon as practical. The Home Office says the hike is part of a package designed to help fund the immigration system and to “reduce overall migration”, alongside new limits on certain student dependants and an “emergency brake” on visas from four high-risk countries. Critics counter that steep charges risk deterring talent and undermining the UK’s competitiveness. The Confederation of British Industry warned that the UK is already the most expensive G7 destination for a typical five-year work permit and called for the Immigration Skills Charge to be offset against training spend. Practically, travellers should make sure any bookings that rely on a visa issued after 8 April reflect the higher fee in departmental budgets; payment shortfalls will trigger automatic refusal. International assignees already in the UK should budget extra for future extensions and factor the higher naturalisation fee (£1,709) into long-term planning. Organisations that still reimburse personal immigration costs must update policy documents immediately to avoid reimbursement disputes after the effective date.
If you’re unsure which visa route best fits your plans or need help beating the fee rise, VisaHQ’s UK team can steer you through every step. The online platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) lets individuals and corporate mobility managers compare categories, upload documents for compliance checks and submit applications directly, reducing the risk of costly errors and missed deadlines.
Work routes are also affected: Skilled Worker applications lodged overseas will climb to £819 (up from £769) for visas of up to three years, and settlement (Indefinite Leave) application fees will breach the £2,000 threshold (£2,064). Corporate mobility managers need to budget for higher upfront costs and to review cost-sharing arrangements with assignees. Employers that sponsor large intakes of international graduates or intra-company transferees could see six-figure additions to their mobility budgets once dependants are factored in. With the Government signalling that further increases cannot be ruled out, many businesses are accelerating Q2 filings to beat the deadline, and immigration advisers are urging applicants to pay and submit biometrics as soon as practical. The Home Office says the hike is part of a package designed to help fund the immigration system and to “reduce overall migration”, alongside new limits on certain student dependants and an “emergency brake” on visas from four high-risk countries. Critics counter that steep charges risk deterring talent and undermining the UK’s competitiveness. The Confederation of British Industry warned that the UK is already the most expensive G7 destination for a typical five-year work permit and called for the Immigration Skills Charge to be offset against training spend. Practically, travellers should make sure any bookings that rely on a visa issued after 8 April reflect the higher fee in departmental budgets; payment shortfalls will trigger automatic refusal. International assignees already in the UK should budget extra for future extensions and factor the higher naturalisation fee (£1,709) into long-term planning. Organisations that still reimburse personal immigration costs must update policy documents immediately to avoid reimbursement disputes after the effective date.
