Increased Fees, Sponsor Licence Changes, ETA U-turns and Other Updates

Changes to Immigration and Nationality Fees

The Home Office have proposed changes to certain immigration and nationality fees in a new document.

The changes include the following:

• Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): increase from £10 to £16.
• Certificate of sponsorship: increase from £239 to £525 for workers and £25 to £55 for temporary workers
• Naturalisation as a British Citizen: increase from £1500 to £1,605
• Naturalisation as a British Overseas Territories Citizen: increase from £1000 to £1,070

The changes are estimated to generate an additional £269 million a year and will be introduced “as soon as Parliamentary time allows”.

Those wishing to avoid paying the increased fees are advised to submit relevant applications before the changes come into effect. It is currently unknown when exactly this will be.

Changes to Sponsor Licence Guidance

In addition to the increase of certificate of sponsorship fees, some guideline changes have been announced for those wishing to sponsor foreign workers in the UK.

The first of these prohibits recouping or attempting to recoup skilled worker sponsor licence fees, administrative costs and certificate of sponsorship fees from sponsored workers.

This is in addition to existing legislation that prohibits recouping or attempting to recoup immigration skills charge fees from sponsored workers.

The second change made is a prohibition on sponsoring workers in a “personal capacity”, such as if an individual or household wishes to sponsor a worker and the sponsor is not otherwise conducting business or providing a service in the UK, or if the worker will be employed by, or engaged for the personal benefit of, an individual (or their close relative or partner) who works for the sponsor, and the role is unrelated to the sponsor’s wider activities.

These changes are effective immediately.

ETAs No Longer a Requirement for Future Airside Transit Passengers

The Home Office have announced that future passengers transiting airside in Heathrow and Manchester airports will no longer be required to obtain an ETA.

The decision was made after largely negative feedback to the rule from UK airports, airlines and travel industry commentators, many of which voiced concerns that the restriction would deter millions of passengers away from the UK to rival airports on continental Europe instead.

Most international airports do not require air passengers to apply for a visa or pre-authorisation in order to transit through airports if they will not be going through passport control.

Although the Home Office denoted this as a “temporary exemption” that will be kept under review, aviation industry experts have deemed it unlikely that the restriction will be brought back in any capacity, ensuring that UK airports can be kept in line with international equivalents in terms of restrictions for transiting passengers.

The ETA programme is being rolled out in phases, with many foreign nationals already needing to apply for one to enter the UK. Visa-exempt European passengers visiting the UK will need to apply for an ETA starting from the 2nd of April 2025.

UK Population to Reach 72.5 million by 2032

Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show a projected increase of the UK’s population to 72.5 million by the year 2032.

Estimates in mid-2023 put the population of the UK at around 68.3 million, which means that the UK now has a bigger population than France for the first time on record.

The primary reason for the increase is due to international migration, with the rate of births and deaths in the UK having no overall effect on population changes.

In response to the figures, an official spokesperson for the Prime Minister stated that they will publish documents that will “set out a comprehensive plan to end these staggeringly high migration numbers.”

However, the spokesperson also stated that the government will not be imposing an “arbitrary cap” on migration numbers.

How Can IAS Help With Your UK Visa Application?

IAS have a team of immigration advisers and caseworkers experienced in the field of UK immigration law.

Regardless of where you’re coming from or what your chosen immigration pathway is, we can help you with almost all UK immigration and visa cases, using our years of experience and compassionate customer service to help get you to where you need to go.

We also offer fast-track and urgent application packages if you need to submit your application to a deadline.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for help on your situation today. Call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 or reach out to us online.