City law firm Forsters LLP has released a concise chart summarising Home Office fee changes that took effect on 8 April 2026 and were confirmed in updated guidance published this week. Visitor-visa applications of up to six months now cost £135, up 6 %. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)—mandatory for visa-waiver nationals—has risen 25 % from £16 to £20 per traveller.
![New fee schedule confirms 6–25 % hikes across UK visa categories, ETA now £20]()
For those recalculating budgets in light of these increases, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the application process and ensure you are paying the correct new fees. Their real-time fee calculator and end-to-end support cover everything from short-stay visitor visas to Skilled Worker and ILR submissions—learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Skilled Worker visa fees are up around 7 % both inside and outside the UK, while settlement (ILR) now costs £3,226, an extra £197 per applicant. The firm notes that certificates of sponsorship and priority-service fees remain unchanged, but emphasises that cumulative increases, plus the higher Immigration Health Surcharge, materially raise assignment budgets. For example, a family of four applying under the Skilled Worker route will see combined visa and IHS costs exceed £23,000 before legal fees or airfares. For businesses the guidance is a budgeting trigger: mobility cost projections, relocation allowances and employee-apart contributions need to be recalculated immediately to avoid cost overruns. Talent teams should also update intranet resources and offer letters to reflect the higher ETA charge, particularly for frequent short-term visitors such as global leadership or project-based staff. According to Forsters, further uplifts are possible later this year as the government pursues a ‘full cost-recovery’ model for immigration services. Companies with large mobile populations are advised to lock in application dates—and therefore old fees—where possible, or explore alternative work patterns that reduce the need for repeat UK entries.
For those recalculating budgets in light of these increases, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the application process and ensure you are paying the correct new fees. Their real-time fee calculator and end-to-end support cover everything from short-stay visitor visas to Skilled Worker and ILR submissions—learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Skilled Worker visa fees are up around 7 % both inside and outside the UK, while settlement (ILR) now costs £3,226, an extra £197 per applicant. The firm notes that certificates of sponsorship and priority-service fees remain unchanged, but emphasises that cumulative increases, plus the higher Immigration Health Surcharge, materially raise assignment budgets. For example, a family of four applying under the Skilled Worker route will see combined visa and IHS costs exceed £23,000 before legal fees or airfares. For businesses the guidance is a budgeting trigger: mobility cost projections, relocation allowances and employee-apart contributions need to be recalculated immediately to avoid cost overruns. Talent teams should also update intranet resources and offer letters to reflect the higher ETA charge, particularly for frequent short-term visitors such as global leadership or project-based staff. According to Forsters, further uplifts are possible later this year as the government pursues a ‘full cost-recovery’ model for immigration services. Companies with large mobile populations are advised to lock in application dates—and therefore old fees—where possible, or explore alternative work patterns that reduce the need for repeat UK entries.
