Fragomen LLP was commissioned by the Royal Society to collect data for a 2025 update to previous analyses (2019, 2021 and 2024) on upfront immigration costs in the UK and 17 other leading science nations. This document summarises the findings from the 2025 update, following previous analyses conducted in 2019, 2021 (PDF) and 2024. The focus is on the main visa categories for researchers, skilled workers and students; including the UK Skilled Worker, Global Talent, Student, and Graduate visas, as well as their equivalents in other countries.
UK immigration costs: an international comparison of skilled worker, researcher and student visas in 2025
21 October 2025