In a bulletin dated 27 October, law firm Clyde & Co warned corporate clients that the cumulative cost of sponsoring overseas talent will jump again before year-end. The briefing analyses the Statement of Changes laid on 15 October and confirms that the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) will rise by 32 % on 16 December, to £1,320 per sponsored worker per year for large employers.
Over a standard five-year Skilled Worker assignment, a large sponsor will pay around £6,600 in ISC alone—before visa fees, the immigration health surcharge and priority processing costs. Clyde & Co calculates that the full five-year package for a single assignee could exceed £14,000 once the higher ISC is in force.
The bulletin also notes a jump in the English-language threshold for Skilled Worker and High Potential Individual visas from CEFR B1 to B2, effective 8 January 2026, and highlights a reduction in the post-study Graduate visa length from two years to 18 months from 2027.
Employers with Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) ready to assign are being advised to accelerate issuance before 15 December to lock in the lower fee. Mobility programmes should also revisit assignment cost projections and consider revising recharge models to business units.
With the UK labour market still tight—unemployment stands at 4.1 %—talent-heavy sectors such as tech, engineering and healthcare are lobbying for phased fee increases. The Home Office has so far signalled no transitional relief, making December a hard deadline for cost mitigation.
Over a standard five-year Skilled Worker assignment, a large sponsor will pay around £6,600 in ISC alone—before visa fees, the immigration health surcharge and priority processing costs. Clyde & Co calculates that the full five-year package for a single assignee could exceed £14,000 once the higher ISC is in force.
The bulletin also notes a jump in the English-language threshold for Skilled Worker and High Potential Individual visas from CEFR B1 to B2, effective 8 January 2026, and highlights a reduction in the post-study Graduate visa length from two years to 18 months from 2027.
Employers with Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) ready to assign are being advised to accelerate issuance before 15 December to lock in the lower fee. Mobility programmes should also revisit assignment cost projections and consider revising recharge models to business units.
With the UK labour market still tight—unemployment stands at 4.1 %—talent-heavy sectors such as tech, engineering and healthcare are lobbying for phased fee increases. The Home Office has so far signalled no transitional relief, making December a hard deadline for cost mitigation.
