Corporate mobility teams awoke on 13 April to a substantial package of Home Office guidance updates that will shape UK talent strategy for the rest of 2026. In its first major tweak since the March Statement of Changes, the Home Office has written a new “worker welfare” duty into the sponsor licence regime. From 6 March sponsors must now be able to evidence that every sponsored worker has been informed of – and can access – UK employment-law rights such as the National Minimum Wage, statutory leave and trade-union membership. HR documentation, induction slides and employee-handbooks will need to be retained on file to satisfy any compliance audit.
![Home Office tightens sponsor compliance, changes dual-citizen entry rules and lifts visa fees]()
For employers looking for practical support in navigating these changing requirements, VisaHQ offers an end-to-end visa and immigration document service, helping organisations assemble compliant application packs, track renewals and manage fee payments. Their UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides real-time updates on policy shifts and an intuitive dashboard that can lighten the administrative load on mobility teams.
The guidance also clarifies how dual citizens should enter the UK. Travellers who hold both a British passport and a foreign passport used for a long-term visa must now show the British passport at e-gates to avoid being flagged as a visitor. Employers sponsoring a dual national will therefore have to check that the employee’s travel history matches the status shown in the Sponsorship Management System, or risk an inadvertent breach. Alongside the policy changes, the Home Office confirmed a broad round of fee increases that took effect on 8 April. Work and visit-visa charges climb by 15%, while student, settlement and nationality applications jump “at least 20 %”. The Immigration Health Surcharge has risen from £624 to £1,035 per year (£470 → £776 for children and students), adding thousands of pounds to five-year assignments. For employers, the triple hit means tighter record-keeping, extra checks at the point of travel and higher assignment budgets. Mobility managers should review onboarding packs, refresh right-to-work procedures for dual nationals and budget for the new fee table in cost projections. Given processing times remain unchanged, filing early—before the next annual review—could avoid another price rise in 2027.
For employers looking for practical support in navigating these changing requirements, VisaHQ offers an end-to-end visa and immigration document service, helping organisations assemble compliant application packs, track renewals and manage fee payments. Their UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides real-time updates on policy shifts and an intuitive dashboard that can lighten the administrative load on mobility teams.
The guidance also clarifies how dual citizens should enter the UK. Travellers who hold both a British passport and a foreign passport used for a long-term visa must now show the British passport at e-gates to avoid being flagged as a visitor. Employers sponsoring a dual national will therefore have to check that the employee’s travel history matches the status shown in the Sponsorship Management System, or risk an inadvertent breach. Alongside the policy changes, the Home Office confirmed a broad round of fee increases that took effect on 8 April. Work and visit-visa charges climb by 15%, while student, settlement and nationality applications jump “at least 20 %”. The Immigration Health Surcharge has risen from £624 to £1,035 per year (£470 → £776 for children and students), adding thousands of pounds to five-year assignments. For employers, the triple hit means tighter record-keeping, extra checks at the point of travel and higher assignment budgets. Mobility managers should review onboarding packs, refresh right-to-work procedures for dual nationals and budget for the new fee table in cost projections. Given processing times remain unchanged, filing early—before the next annual review—could avoid another price rise in 2027.
