When a candidate's current visa is close to expiring, or you need them to start soon, we have to move their application ahead of others in our queue. An urgency fee applies to these applications.
When the urgency fee applies
The fee applies when, at the time you send the sponsorship offer or the candidate submits their application, either of these is 30 days away or less:
the expiry date of the candidate's current visa
your ideal start date for the candidate
It also applies when the candidate's current permission is ending early, for example:
their current visa will be withdrawn within 30 days
their current sponsor's licence has been revoked
the Home Office has given them a date by which they must leave the UK
a recent visa application was refused
they have a pending Further Leave to Remain (FLR) application
How much it is
Days remaining | Urgency fee |
8 to 30 days | £250 + VAT per application |
0 to 7 days | £500 + VAT per application |
The fee is per visa application. If you send urgent offers to two candidates, you pay it twice.
Who pays it
We always bill the employer, by Direct Debit, before our immigration adviser starts work on the application. We never bill the candidate. You can recharge the fee to your candidate if your own policy allows it, but that arrangement is between you and them.
The fee is listed on the Fees page in your Borderless account.
Why there is a fee
Urgent applications have to be prioritised over others in our pipeline. Some also need extra work, such as an urgent Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) request if you have none available, or a manual application so the candidate does not become an overstayer.
What the fee does and does not cover
The fee pays for your application to be prioritised. It does not guarantee completion by a specific time or that a particular adviser will handle it.
Our working hours are 9:00am to 5:30pm UK time, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in England. We do not guarantee weekend or out-of-hours processing.
To be considered for urgent handling, the candidate must submit the application for Borderless review by 12:00pm on the working day before their visa expires. We cannot guarantee to process an application submitted after that.
We also cannot start reviewing until the candidate has submitted the application. You need to send the offer and the candidate needs to accept it and complete their application in time.
Avoiding the fee
Send sponsorship offers more than 30 days before the candidate's visa expires or your ideal start date. Encourage the candidate to complete their application straight away. Our How do I know when my employee's visa expires? article shows where to find expiry dates.
Government guidance: Visa processing times