Under UK immigration and sponsorship guidelines, sponsors pay some immigration fees according to whether they are classed as a small or large sponsor. Small sponsors pay less for sponsor license application fees (£536 compared to £1,476) and for the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) applicable to Skilled Worker and Senior/Specialist Worker applications (£364 per year of the visa compared to £1,000).
The Home Office defines a small sponsor as one which either meets the definition of a small company or is a registered charity. The definition of a small company changed on April 6, 2025.
The definition of a small company is based on three features: annual turnover, balance sheet total, and number of employees. The below table sets out the thresholds – if a company exceeds at least two of the three thresholds it will not be a small company:
| Old rules | New rules from 6 April 2025 | |
| Number of employees | 50 | 50 (unchanged) |
| Turnover | £10.2 million | £15 million |
| Balance sheet total | £5.1 million | £7.5 million |
Erickson Insights & Analysis
It is important that sponsors are registered correctly with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) as a small or large sponsor – in order that the correct fees are paid. Any changes must be reported to UKVI via the Sponsor Management System.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.