UK Government Spends Millions on Foreign Worker Visas

Whitehall departments have spent at least £5 million on more than 1,500 visas for overseas workers in the two years since the Labour government assumed power, according to official figures.

Some of this expenditure covers candidates for skilled positions who applied from abroad, while in other instances, sponsoring departments are paying for visa extensions for migrants already residing in the UK. This spending has drawn criticism from various groups concerned about taxpayer funds.

Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Mike Wood stated that it is "absurd" for taxpayers to fund individual visa renewals for civil service staff, arguing that foreign workers should cover their own expenses if they wish to remain in Britain. He acknowledged the need for overseas recruitment in specific areas but emphasized that visa costs should not fall on the British taxpayer.

Callum McGoldrick, investigations campaign manager for the TaxPayers' Alliance, linked the rise in visa sponsorships under Labour to their employment and taxation policies, suggesting that government departments are increasingly relying on foreign nationals to fill roles due to incentives that may encourage some to leave employment. He described the situation as costing taxpayers "an absolute fortune."

Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, criticized the approach as a "double whammy from Whitehall," asserting that domestic workers have been overlooked and taxpayers are covering sponsorship costs. He suggested that this indicates a continued reliance on the "migration lever" when the focus should be on reducing migration numbers. Bates added that it is "entirely inappropriate" for state functions to depend on foreign labor without sufficient investment in domestic training.

Significant visa expenses have been incurred by the Ministry of Justice, which has spent £1.2 million on over 500 visas between July 2024 and the end of 2025 for staff working in prisons and courts. In the first five months of the current year, the Ministry of Justice spent an additional £2 million on 500 more visas. This comes after ministers had to exempt hundreds of West African prison officers from immigration rules to address staffing shortages.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson clarified that while they employ a small proportion of non-UK nationals to maintain public safety, the department is required to pay certain fees to the Home Office as an organization holding a sponsorship license, but does not fund individuals' visa application costs.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has also covered 330 sponsorship fees since the election, costing £1 million. A DWP spokesperson explained that these payments relate to less than one percent of their staff and are in accordance with Home Office requirements.

Other departments reporting visa expenditures include HM Revenue & Customs, which spent over £500,000 on 150 foreign staff, and the Attorney General's Office, which paid £200,000 for 55 visas for government lawyers. The Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education, and Department for Transport have also disclosed payments for migrant workers' visas.

A government spokesperson reiterated that an "extremely small proportion" of civil servants are employed on visas, with roles awarded on merit. The government also referenced its commitment to reducing overall migration levels as outlined in the Immigration White Paper, aiming to decrease reliance on overseas labor and stimulate economic growth.