Skilled Worker visa costs and processing times in the UK

The Skilled Worker visa costs depend on your circumstances: there is a base application fee, an immigration health surcharge, and, in some cases, a skills charge for your employer. The standard application fee is £558 per person, but the total you pay will be higher because you must also pay the healthcare surcharge, and your partner and children each need their own application. Processing times are not fixed: the Home Office aims to decide most applications within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK and 8 weeks if you apply from inside the UK, but you may be able to pay for a faster decision. The exact fee you owe depends on whether you are extending, switching, or applying afresh, and on the length of your visa.

What the Skilled Worker visa costs

The fee you pay depends on the route you are taking. The official guidance lists the following application fees:

Application type	Fee
Apply from outside the UK	£558
Extend or switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK	£558

These figures are the application fee only. You will also need to pay the immigration health surcharge as part of your application. The surcharge amount depends on how long your visa lasts, so you cannot calculate a single total without knowing your visa length. The official guidance does not give the surcharge rates, so you must check the current amount on the official GOV.UK fee page before you apply.

If you have a partner or children, each of them must complete a separate application and pay the visa fee for themselves. The fee for a dependant is the same as for the main applicant, so a family of four would pay the application fee four times, plus the health surcharge for each person.

What the fee covers and what it does not

The application fee covers the cost of processing your visa application. It does not cover:

• the immigration health surcharge, which is paid separately
• the skills charge, which your employer may have to pay if they are sponsoring you
• any costs for biometric enrolment, if you need to attend a visa application centre
• any fees for dependants, which are separate

Your employer may also need to pay a skills charge when they sponsor you. The official guidance does not state the amount of this charge, so you should ask your sponsor or check the official sponsorship guidance.

How long the Skilled Worker visa takes to process

The Home Office does not publish a guaranteed processing time. It states that you will usually get a decision within:

• 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK
• 8 weeks if you apply from inside the UK

These are target times, not guarantees. Your application may take longer if the Home Office needs more information, if you need to attend an appointment, or if there are delays at a visa application centre. You may be able to pay for a faster decision, but the official guidance does not state the cost or availability of this service. You will be told if you can use it when you apply.

If you are applying from inside the UK, you must apply before your current visa expires. Your new course or job must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring. If you miss this window, you may not be able to extend your stay.

Costs for your partner and children

If you are a Skilled Worker, your partner and children may be able to apply to join you or stay in the UK as dependants. They must complete separate applications, and each application carries its own fee.

Your partner or child will also need to prove they have enough money to support themselves while they are in the UK. The amounts are:

Person	Money required
Partner	£285
One child	£315
Each additional child	£200

These amounts are in addition to the money you need to support yourself. For example, to bring a partner and one child, you would need £600 for them, plus £1,270 for yourself. The money must have been available for at least 28 days in a row, and day 28 must be within 31 days of the application. You will usually need to show proof of this when they apply, unless you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months, or your employer can cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK (confirmed on your certificate of sponsorship).

What affects the total cost

Several factors determine what you actually pay:

• Whether you apply from inside or outside the UK
• Whether you are extending, switching, or applying fresh
• The length of your visa, which affects the health surcharge
• How many dependants you have
• Whether you need biometric enrolment at a visa application centre
• Whether your employer pays the skills charge

The official guidance does not give the health surcharge rates or the skills charge amount. To calculate your total cost, you need to know your visa length and check the current surcharge rate on the official GOV.UK page for the immigration health surcharge.

What to do next

Before you apply, check the current fees on the official GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page. The fees listed here are the application fees only; the total cost will be higher once you add the health surcharge and any dependant applications. If you are applying from inside the UK, make sure you apply before your current visa expires and that your new job begins within 28 days. If you have a partner or children, confirm they meet the dependant eligibility rules and that you have the required funds available for 28 days. If you are unsure about the health surcharge or the skills charge, ask your sponsor or check the official guidance on the GOV.UK website.