Written question WQ100955
- Asked by
- Francesca O'BrienReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
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?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution (Dafydd Trystan Davies)
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.