As of April 2017 employers sponsoring foreign workers with a tier 2 visa will be required to pay an immigration skills charge of £1,000 per worker (with a lesser charge of £364 applicable for small employers and charities) in addition to current fees for visa applications. Immigration Minister, Robert Goodwill, has also indicated that a similar charge may be applied in respect of skilled EU workers post-Brexit although these plans are yet to be confirmed.

 Employers should also be aware that the minimum salary threshold for “experienced workers” applying for a tier 2 visa is set to increase to £30,000 with effect from April of this year, although new entrants to the job market and selected health and education employees are exempt from the salary threshold until 2019.