How much has the Welsh Government spent in each of the last five financial years on sponsoring visas for its staff, including visa application fees, the Immigration Skills Charge, the Immigration Health Surcharge and Certificates of Sponsorship, and how many members of staff were sponsored in each of those years?
The Welsh Government has sponsored two specialist digital roles to date. The costs incurred for the two employees were as follow:
|
Annual employer sponsorship costs and employees sponsored |
||||
|
Financial year |
Employees sponsored |
Certificate of Sponsorship |
Immigration Skills Charge |
Total employer cost |
|
2021/22 |
0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
|
2022/23 |
0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
|
2023/24 |
0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
|
2024/25 |
1 |
£239 |
£0, exempt |
£239 |
|
2025/26 |
1 |
£239 |
£2,000 |
£2,239 |
|
Five-year total |
2 |
£478 |
£2,000 |
£2,478 |
Please note:
- No Immigration Skills Charge was payable in 2024/25 because the employee’s occupation code was exempt from the charge.
- The £2,000 Immigration Skills Charge reflects the applicable rate of £1,000 per year for a two-year sponsorship by a large sponsor.
- The visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge are borne by the two sponsored employees themselves.