Skilled Worker visa fees and costs

The Skilled Worker visa application fee is £819 to £1,865, depending on your situation (GOV.UK). You also pay the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year. You usually need at least £1,270 in your bank account as well. A job on the immigration salary list has a lower visa fee.

How much does the visa cost?

The fee depends on where you apply from and how long you will stay in the UK. Each person pays their own fee.

Where you apply from	How long you will stay	Fee for each person
Outside the UK	Up to 3 years	£819
Outside the UK	More than 3 years	£1,618
Inside the UK (to extend, switch or update)	Up to 3 years	£943
Inside the UK (to extend, switch or update)	More than 3 years	£1,865

If your partner or child applies to join you in the UK, they pay the fee for the same length of time as you. This is true even if they apply after your visa is granted.

Is the fee lower for some jobs?

Yes. You and your family pay a lower fee if your job is on the immigration salary list. This is the fee for each person:

How long you will stay	Fee for each person
Up to 3 years	£628
More than 3 years	£1,235

The fee is the same whether you apply from inside or outside the UK. A partner or child who applies as your dependant pays the fee for the same length of time as you. See the immigration salary list to find out which jobs are on it.

How much is the healthcare surcharge?

The immigration health surcharge (IHS) is a separate payment. It pays for your use of the NHS. You pay it as part of your online application, by debit or credit card. For the Skilled Worker visa, GOV.UK’s costs page says it is “usually £1,035 per year”.

Who you are	Cost for each year
Students, their dependants, and Youth Mobility Scheme visa applicants	£776
Anyone under 18 when they apply	£776
All other visa and immigration applicants	£1,035

If your visa is not a whole number of years, GOV.UK’s healthcare surcharge page says:

How long your visa is	What you pay
6 months or less, applying from outside the UK	No surcharge
6 months or less, applying from inside the UK	Half the yearly cost (£517.50 for any other application)
More than 6 months but less than one year	A full year, wherever you apply from
More than one year, 18 months or less	The yearly cost plus half the yearly cost
More than 18 months but less than 2 years	Two full years

Dependants aged 18 or over usually pay the same amount as you.

A health and care worker who is eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa (or their dependant) does not pay the surcharge. See the Health and Care Worker visa guide.

What if I do not pay the surcharge?

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) emails you. You must then pay within:

• 10 working days if you are inside the UK
• 7 working days if you are outside the UK

If you do not, your application will be turned down.

Can I get the surcharge back?

You get a full refund if:

• you paid it twice for the same visa application
• your application is refused
• you withdraw your application before a decision is made

You get a partial refund if:

• your application succeeds but you get less time on your visa than you asked for
• a dependant is refused

You do not get a refund if, for example, you withdraw after your visa is granted. You also do not get a refund if your application succeeds but you do not come to the UK.

How much money do I need in the bank?

You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK. You must have held the money for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of the day you apply (SW 15.2 and SW 15.3).

You usually need to show proof of this. You do not need to if either of these is true:

• you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270

The rules say that if you apply to stay in the UK and have had permission to be here for 12 months or longer on the day you apply, you meet the money rule. You do not need to show funds (SW 15.1). See Skilled Worker visa documents for the evidence you need.

What is the total cost? An example from GOV.UK

GOV.UK gives this example. You apply from Argentina for 2 years, and your job is not on the immigration salary list.

• The visa costs £819.
• The healthcare surcharge is £1,035 for each year of your stay.
• The total when you apply is £2,889.

GOV.UK adds that you also need to show you have £1,270 if your employer cannot cover these costs.

What about the Immigration Skills Charge?

GOV.UK’s costs page does not list the Immigration Skills Charge. The rules say your sponsor must have paid in full any Immigration Skills Charge that is required (SW 5.4). A sponsor is the employer that gives you your certificate of sponsorship.