Discontinuation of Sponsor Premium Customer Service

Validated finding · five-country-2010-20260922-v118-evidence-presentation-fix

Operative dateNovember 11, 2025

CategorySkilled work

Policy toolSponsorship

Policy effect

Permanent closure of the Premium Customer Service for Worker and Temporary Worker licensed sponsors. Guidance pages are withdrawn, and annual fee options of £8,000 and £25,000 are revoked.

Conditions and exceptions

Validated condition or limit: Guidance pages are withdrawn, and annual fee options of £8,000 and £25,000 are revoked.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

… certain exceptions for further applications in transit to be considered (Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 997, 1 July 2025). 5.11 At present ARAP applicants (both main and dependants (including children)) are exempt from fees when applying from outside the UK for indefinite leave to enter, or within the UK for leave to remain and settlement. 5.12 This instrument amends the existing fee exemption provision by updating a cross reference to the amended Appendix ARAP in the Immigration Rules and deleting 3 CO/EM/2025.1 references which are no longer relevant. The scope and operation of the existing fee exemption for eligible ARAP applicants remain unchanged. This is a technical amendment to align the fee exemption with the current Immigration Rules and does not constitute a change in policy. Amendments to premium service for sponsors 5.13 Following an internal review certain changes are being made to the premium services offered to sponsors on work and study visa routes, which are optional services available on payment of an additional fee. Closure of annual premium service package for sponsors 5.14 This service is currently offered to licensed sponsors on work visa routes, providing enhanced year-round support to the immigration process for employing overseas workers and temporary workers. The service will be discontinued as it has become less relevant and no longer offers the premium value it once did; since its introduction, the immigration system has seen several user-focused improvements, and alternative support channels within the Home Office have become more accessible to sponsors. A similar service for sponsors on the student visa route (including universities and schools/colleges) was closed in October 2023, without a negative impact on overall sponsor services. This change is being made with an aim to optimise usage of the department's resources by maintaining the customer service standards. 5.15 Accordingly, this service will cease for sponsors on work visa routes from 11 November 2025. This instrument removes the associated fees of £8,000 and £25,000 per annum from that date, as the service will no longer be available. Premium service for expediting sponsor licence applications 5.16 This premium service is available to sponsors offering expedited processing of sponsor licence applications for an additional fee of £500, which is payable … The fee changes through this instrument will come into force on 11 November 2025. In relation to changes in fee exceptions, updated information and guidance for members of the public and staff will be published on the GOV.UK website when the changes take effect on 11 November 2025. The fee table on GOV.UK, which sets out all immigration and nationality fees, will be updated to reflect the revised premium service fees for sponsors on the date this instrument is laid.1 Part Two: Impact and the Better Regulation Framework 9. Impact Assessment 9.1 A full Impact Assessment has not been prepared for this …

UK Legislationlegislation.gov.uk. Discontinuation of Sponsor Premium Customer Service. Effective 2025-11-11.Open official source

Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1108/pdfs/uksiem_20251108_en_001.pdf

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

Automated source validation is not independent human legal review. The finding should not be treated as legal advice. Record fcp-13d30b63fbccc5532dad. Something wrong? Flag this record.

Discontinuation of Sponsor Premium Customer Service

Policy effect

Conditions and exceptions

Official source excerpt

Review method

Other United Kingdom changes operative in 2025