Sponsor licence calculator
Please answer the following 6 questions to receive an estimation of the costs of obtaining a sponsorship licence for your company. It will only take 2 minutes.
β οΈ Important legal notice: cost recovery ban (from 31 December 2024)
Employers are now legally prohibited from passing the cost of a sponsor licence, Certificate of Sponsorship, or Immigration Skills Charge on to workers, directly or indirectly. Attempting to recover these costs from an employee may result in revocation of your sponsor licence by the Home Office. All costs shown in this calculator must be borne solely by the employer.
Example of result which you will get in the end:
Certificate of sponsorship costs
Β£525
Worker licence fee (small/charitable)
Β£574
Immigration Skills Charge (2 years, small sponsor)
Β£960
Our fees (from)
From Β£1,700 + VAT
Total (excl. VAT on our fees)
Β£4,559
(1/6) Determine size of your company
Determine size of your company
Answer all three questions. If your figures exceed all three thresholds, your company is classed as medium or large and a higher sponsor licence fee applies.
Your company is classed as small if it satisfies at least two of the three criteria below. Meeting two or more "small" thresholds = small company fee (Β£574). Otherwise the medium/large fee (Β£1,579) applies.
1. Your annual turnover?
2. Your total assets (balance sheet)?
3. How many employees?
(2/6) Are you a charitable sponsor?
Are you a charitable sponsor?
You are a charitable sponsor if you satisfy at least one of the following:
β’ A registered charity in England or Wales
β’ A registered charity in Scotland
β’ A registered charity in Northern Ireland (if not on the register, you must provide HMRC proof of charitable status)
β’ An excepted charity
β’ An exempt charity
β’ An ecclesiastical corporation established for charitable purposes
Charitable sponsors always qualify for the small sponsor licence fee (Β£574) regardless of company size.
β’ A registered charity in England or Wales
β’ A registered charity in Scotland
β’ A registered charity in Northern Ireland (if not on the register, you must provide HMRC proof of charitable status)
β’ An excepted charity
β’ An exempt charity
β’ An ecclesiastical corporation established for charitable purposes
Charitable sponsors always qualify for the small sponsor licence fee (Β£574) regardless of company size.
(3/6) Specify the period
Specify the period for which you are hiring the employee:
How the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) is calculated:
The ISC is charged per 6-month block, not per whole year. Rates from 16 December 2024:
β’ Small/charitable sponsor: Β£480 for the first 12 months, then Β£240 per additional 6 months
β’ Medium/large sponsor: Β£1,320 for the first 12 months, then Β£660 per additional 6 months
The ISC is charged per 6-month block, not per whole year. Rates from 16 December 2024:
β’ Small/charitable sponsor: Β£480 for the first 12 months, then Β£240 per additional 6 months
β’ Medium/large sponsor: Β£1,320 for the first 12 months, then Β£660 per additional 6 months
(4/6) Please enter how many foreign employees
Please enter how many foreign employees you would like to hire:
Each employee requires a separate Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) at Β£525 each (from April 9, 2025). The Immigration Skills Charge also applies per employee, per the period selected.
(5/6) Select service you need
Select service you need:
Basic
From Β£1,700 + VAT
- Documents check
(Last question) Contact preference
What is the best form of communication with you?
We are almost done! Fill in the form to get your result.
Your sponsor licence cost estimate
β οΈ Employer cost recovery ban
Since 31 December 2024, it is unlawful for employers to pass any of the above government fees (sponsor licence, CoS, or ISC) on to workers, whether directly, by deduction from salary, or by any other means. Breach of this rule may result in revocation of your sponsor licence. All costs above must be borne entirely by the employer.
This estimate is based on current Home Office fee rates (effective April 2025 and December 2024) and is provided for guidance only. It does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a qualified immigration solicitor for advice specific to your circumstances.
This estimate is based on current Home Office fee rates (effective April 2025 and December 2024) and is provided for guidance only. It does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a qualified immigration solicitor for advice specific to your circumstances.