Five Star International reports that the Home Office intends to raise several core immigration and nationality fees, with the announcement published on 11 January 2026. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fee would climb from £10 to £16; the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) would more than double from £239 to £525; and naturalisation fees would rise to £1,605 for British citizenship and £1,070 for BOTC status. (fivestarinternational.co.uk)
Although no implementation date is set, the Home Office says the increases are designed to make the migration system more self-funding and to generate an additional £269 million annually. (fivestarinternational.co.uk)
![Fee Hikes Loom: Home Office Plans 60 % Increase for Key Immigration Charges]()
For employers, the CoS hike alone could significantly inflate annual immigration budgets, especially in sectors with high volumes of sponsored workers. HR departments should consider front-loading CoS assignments and accelerating naturalisation applications before the higher fees take effect. (fivestarinternational.co.uk)
Individuals planning to apply for citizenship or frequent ETA travel may also wish to submit applications early to avoid the surcharge. Mobility advisers recommend building fee-change alerts into task management systems so that cost data in relocation packages remains accurate.
Although no implementation date is set, the Home Office says the increases are designed to make the migration system more self-funding and to generate an additional £269 million annually. (fivestarinternational.co.uk)
For employers, the CoS hike alone could significantly inflate annual immigration budgets, especially in sectors with high volumes of sponsored workers. HR departments should consider front-loading CoS assignments and accelerating naturalisation applications before the higher fees take effect. (fivestarinternational.co.uk)
Individuals planning to apply for citizenship or frequent ETA travel may also wish to submit applications early to avoid the surcharge. Mobility advisers recommend building fee-change alerts into task management systems so that cost data in relocation packages remains accurate.
Source: Five Star International
