{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-skills-charge-regulations-2017/regulation-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-skills-charge-regulations-2017/regulation-4.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2017/499",
  "legislation_title": "The Immigration Skills Charge Regulations 2017",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-skills-charge-regulations-2017",
  "path": "regulation/4",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Exemptions from the charge",
  "text": "The obligation to pay the charge does not apply where a sponsor assigns a certificate of sponsorship to a skilled worker—\n(a) in respect of an occupation coming within any of the following codes in version 12 of the Standard Occupational Classification 2020 Index—\n(i) 2111 (chemical scientists);\n(ii) 2112 (biological scientists);\n(iii) 2113 (biochemists and biomedical scientists);\n(iv) 2114 (physical scientists);\n(v) 2115 (social and humanities scientists);\n(vi) 2119 (natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified);\n(vii) 2161 (research and development managers);\n(viii) 2162 (other researchers, unspecified discipline);\n(ix) 2311 (higher education teaching professionals);\n(x) 2463 (clergy);\n(xi) 3431 (sports players);\n(xii) 3432 (sports coaches, instructors and officials);\n(b) who is intended to be the subject of an intra-company transfer as a graduate trainee, that being a temporary posting for a period of no more than 12 months, to the United Kingdom branch of a multi-national organisation as part of a structured graduate training programme, which clearly defines progression towards a managerial or specialist role;\n(c) in respect of whom the sponsor has already assigned a certificate of sponsorship (“the first certificate”), but only to the extent that any subsequent certificate of sponsorship is assigned in respect of a period of prospective leave which does not exceed the period in respect of which the first certificate was assigned;\n(d) who has leave to enter or leave to remain for the purpose of study;\n(e) in circumstances where—\n(i) that sponsor has already assigned a certificate of sponsorship to that individual (“the first certificate”); but\n(ii) by virtue of paragraph (d), the sponsor was not obliged to pay the charge when the first certificate was assigned; and\n(iii) the assignment of any subsequent certificate of sponsorship relates to the same role as the first certificate;\n(f) who seeks entry clearance for a period of less than six months;\n(g) who is intended to be a Scale-up Worker, within the meaning given by paragraph 6 of the immigration rules;\n(h) who is intended to be:\n(i ) a Senior or Specialist Worker, within the meaning given by paragraph 6 of the immigration rules; and\n(ii ) the subject of an intra-corporate transfer for a period of no more than 36 months as an intra-corporate transferee, as defined by Article 140(5)(d) to (g) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Reg. 4(a) substituted (16.12.2025) by The Immigration Skills Charge (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1324), regs. 1(1), 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Reg. 4(g)(h) inserted (1.1.2023) by The Immigration Skills Charge (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1391), regs. 1(1), 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 4 in force at 6.4.2017, see reg. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/499/regulation/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T23:11:44.746365+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}