The UK Government has announced two targeted immigration-related measures intended to support high-growth businesses, strengthen access to international talent and encourage overseas companies to establish operations in the UK.
The measures form part of the Government’s wider growth and industrial strategy agenda, with a particular focus on sectors considered central to UK innovation and competitiveness, including clean energy, life sciences, and digital and technologies. If you are not a UK scale-up in one of those sectors, or an overseas business already supported by the Office for Investment, these measures are unlikely to apply.
The Government has launched a Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups, designed to help eligible UK-based scale-up businesses offset some of the costs of hiring international talent. The scheme will provide grant funding to reimburse eligible visa application fees for specialist hires and their dependants, where the business and visa route fall within the scope of the scheme.
To qualify, businesses must be UK-based scale-ups operating in one of the eligible priority sectors, hold a valid UK sponsor licence, have an established UK presence, and recruit under an eligible immigration route. The routes identified by the Government are Skilled Worker, Global Talent and Scale-Up. Businesses will also need to pass Department for Business and Trade due diligence and assurance checks and hold a valid UK bank account for reimbursement purposes.
The reimbursement scheme is narrow. A business must be a UK-based scale-up: broadly, an enterprise with average annualised growth above 20% in employment or turnover over a three-year period, with at least 10 employees at the
start of that period. Early-stage start-ups, steady-growth businesses and employers outside the priority sectors are unlikely to qualify.
Sector fit will be key. Clean energy should cover businesses supporting the clean power transition; life sciences should cover pharmaceuticals, medtech, health innovation and digital health; and digital and technologies should cover businesses developing or applying advanced technologies or digital tools. Borderline businesses should check carefully which sector classification applies.
Funding is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The scheme can provide up to £25,000 per year, with a maximum award of £5,000 per eligible international hire and their dependants. Eligible fees must have been incurred on or after 9 June 2026.
The scheme is route-specific. Businesses should check that the hire is using Skilled Worker, Global Talent or Scale-Up, and that the claim relates to visa application fees for the main applicant and/or dependants. Other costs, including the Immigration Health Surcharge, Immigration Skills Charge, Certificate of Sponsorship fees, priority processing and professional fees, should not be assumed to be covered.
Alongside this, the Government has also announced an Office for Investment fast-track referral process for UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence applications. This is intended to support high-potential overseas businesses that are receiving ongoing Office for Investment support and wish to establish a UK presence. Where accepted, businesses may receive a faster decision on a UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence application, with anticipated processing in around 10 working days, compared with the standard processing period of up to 8 weeks.
The fast-track referral is not a general priority service. It is aimed at overseas businesses already supported by the Office for Investment, operating in a priority sector, and able to show a strong growth or investment profile. This could include at least £1 million in venture capital or institutional investment, at least £2 million committed to UK expansion, or participation in a recognised high-growth programme such as the Global Entrepreneur Programme.
Businesses seeking a referral should expect to evidence a credible UK expansion plan, including UK set-up costs, first-year operating costs and a reasoned forecast for UK revenue. The plan is likely to be assessed against the overseas business’s track record and relevant market benchmarks.
These announcements are targeted, but strategically significant.
For eligible scale-ups, the reimbursement scheme may reduce one of the more immediate cost barriers associated with international hiring. This will be particularly relevant for businesses competing globally for specialist talent in sectors where skills shortages, speed to market and investor confidence are all critical.
However, the scheme should not be viewed as a broad reduction in UK immigration costs. It is limited by sector, business profile, immigration route, funding availability and grant eligibility requirements. Employers will still need to manage the wider cost of sponsorship carefully, including the Immigration Health Surcharge, sponsor licence fees,
Certificate of Sponsorship fees, Immigration Skills Charge where applicable, priority service fees and the internal cost of maintaining compliance.
The strongest candidates are established, sponsor-licensed UK scale-ups in an eligible sector, recruiting specialist talent through an eligible route, with clear evidence that visa application fees were incurred on or after 9 June 2026. Pre-revenue, newly incorporated or steady-growth businesses are unlikely to benefit.
The fast-track referral process may also be valuable for overseas businesses looking to enter the UK market quickly. For companies that qualify, the ability to accelerate the UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence process could help align immigration timelines more closely with investment, entity establishment, premises, hiring and commercial launch plans.
For the fast-track referral, the main beneficiaries are likely to be overseas companies with OfI support, qualifying investment or capital expenditure, and a funded UK market-entry plan. Businesses still testing the UK market, or without the required sector fit, investment profile or OfI relationship, should expect to use the standard UK Expansion Worker process.
Eligible businesses should assess quickly whether they fall within the scope of the reimbursement scheme, particularly as funding is limited and applications will be processed in the order received. Businesses should also ensure that their internal immigration cost policies are clear, including whether visa fees are paid directly, reimbursed to employees, or recovered in any circumstances.
Scale-ups should also consider whether they are using the most appropriate immigration route. The availability of reimbursement should not drive route selection if another route is more suitable from a legal, commercial or workforce planning perspective.
For overseas businesses considering UK expansion, the fast-track referral process may help reduce timing uncertainty, but it does not remove the underlying sponsor licence requirements. Businesses will still need to demonstrate that the UK Expansion Worker route is appropriate, that they have a credible UK expansion plan, that the overseas business is genuine and established, and that they can comply with sponsor duties from day one.
Businesses should consider taking the following steps:
· Review whether they fall within the eligible sectors and scale-up criteria for the reimbursement scheme.
· Identify any recent or planned international hires where visa fees may be eligible for reimbursement.
· Confirm evidence of the scale-up growth test: over 20% annualised growth in employment or turnover across three years, with at least 10 employees at the start.
· Confirm whether the relevant visa route is within scope.
· Review internal policies on immigration fee payment, reimbursement and recovery.
· Assess sponsor licence compliance readiness before making any application or seeking to benefit from the schemes.
· For overseas businesses, confirm support, qualifying investment or programme participation, and a credible funded UK expansion plan.
· For overseas businesses, consider whether Office for Investment support and the UK Expansion Worker route could form part of a wider UK market entry strategy.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Adam Sinfield
Director
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