Ending of a fee reduction for nationals of certain countries

Up until now nationals of certain countries, which have ratified the European Social Charter (CESC nationals), have enjoyed reduced visa fees under many of the work visa routes,

including the Skilled Worker and Intra-Company Transfer routes. They have also benefited from free Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS). The savings have not been huge – a £55 reduction on the visa fee, and no requirement to pay the £199 Certificate of Sponsorship allocation fee. But a saving nevertheless

Unfortunately, this concession will end on 26 February 2022.

Visa applications submitted by, and Certificates of Sponsorship assigned to, CESC nationals on or after 26 February 2022 will incur the full standard visa and (where applicable) CoS fee.

If you have requested and been granted a Skilled Worker Defined CoS, but not assigned it to an individual before 26 February, you will have to pay the increased fees.

The nationalities that are affected are: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

So, if you have an application that is ready to submit, act fast and don’t miss your chance for a saving.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson has extensive experience with all corporate immigration matters, including sponsorship licences. If you have any queries relating to the blogs published or are interested in talking to us about your specific circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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