UK Visa Sponsorship Extension Cost Tracker 2026

The Settlement Year Goal is the milestone when an employee becomes eligible for UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

For Skilled Workers, this typically occurs after 5 continuous years of living and working in the UK on an eligible visa route.

Employers are not required to pay the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) for dependants.

However, dependants must still pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) of £1,035 per year and standard visa application fees, which employers may optionally cover as part of a relocation package.

A company generally qualifies as a Small Sponsor if it meets at least two of the following criteria:

• Annual turnover of £15 million or less
• Total assets of £7.5 million or less
• 50 employees or fewer

This tool covers the core government fees your organisation pays across each renewal cycle: CoS, ISC, IHS, and the in-country visa extension fee. It does not include the ILR application fee (£3,226 per applicant, payable at the end of the settlement route), legal or professional immigration fees, priority or super-priority processing charges (£500 and £1,000 respectively), or dependant visa fees unless you enter dependants in the tool. Budget an additional 20–30% buffer for these costs when planning total workforce spend.

The calculator uses current 2026 Home Office fee rates, which are updated following each official fee round. The figures reflect the April 2026 increases and the December 2025 ISC restructure. Estimates are accurate for standard in-country Skilled Worker extensions, they will not reflect out-of-country applications, Health and Care Worker route fees, or roles with occupation-specific exemptions. Government fees can change at short notice; we recommend verifying against the current GOV.UK fee schedule before submitting any application.

You can set any Settlement Year Goal in the tool, including goals beyond 5 years. Under the UK's earned settlement framework introduced in April 2026, most Skilled Worker visa holders now face a 10-year baseline qualifying period for ILR, replacing the previous 5-year standard route. If your employee is on an existing 5-year track they may be protected under transitional provisions, check their individual position before setting a goal. For a full breakdown of how the earned settlement changes affect your sponsored workforce, see our [UK ILR update guide].

The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) is banded by sponsor type. Medium and large sponsors pay £1,320 for the first 12 months and £660 for each additional 6-month period. Small and charitable sponsors pay £480 for the first 12 months and £240 per additional 6-month period, roughly a 64% reduction. Because the ISC is paid per renewal cycle and cannot be recovered from the sponsored worker, employer size is one of the biggest variables in your multi-year budget. If you are unsure which category your organisation falls into, see the Small Sponsor FAQ above.