In-house HR Team vs External Immigration Support: Which is More Cost-Effective?
Choosing the Right Support for Your Immigration Needs
You're short on time and stretched across priorities. Your team needs to bring someone in from overseas to fill a staffing gap or secure a key skill set. But now you're faced with an extra layer: immigration.
Do you rely on your in-house HR team? Hire a specialist internally? Or outsource to an immigration consultancy?
You want to make the right call, both financially and operationally. The last thing you need is an expensive delay, a refusal that sets your hiring back by months, or a compliance issue that risks your Home Office sponsor licence.
This guide is for HR leaders, operations managers, and business owners who are weighing the cost and control of in-house immigration handling versus external, regulated support. It’s written to help you make an informed decision based on what actually works, not just what looks good on paper.
At Immtell, we advise businesses across sectors on immigration and global mobility. We’ve worked inside the Home Office, led compliance reviews, and helped everyone from SMEs to multinationals handle sponsor duties, visa applications and audits. We’re authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) to provide regulated immigration advice, meaning you’re supported by professionals who meet the legal standard, not just best practice.
In this article, you’ll get a clear comparison of costs, responsibilities and outcomes, and understand which option makes the most sense for your business.
The Hidden Pressures on Internal HR Teams
In many businesses, immigration lands with HR by default. A new hire needs a visa, a candidate asks a question about sponsorship, and someone in the team ends up Googling occupation codes or scrambling through GOV.UK.
The problem? Immigration isn’t just another admin function. It’s legal territory. And if your HR team or internal advisor gives immigration advice without being regulated, they’re not just making mistakes; they’re breaking the law.
In the UK, immigration advice can only legally be given by an individual and organisation regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority or an equivalent legal body, like the SRA. That means most in-house teams aren’t allowed to advise candidates or employees on specific issues.
When Immigration Isn’t a Full-Time Job
Unless your business sponsors a few workers a year, immigration likely isn't a full-time role. HR might only touch visa processes a few times per year. And when those moments come, they’re usually time-sensitive, high-pressure, and high-stakes.
If no one in-house deals with immigration regularly, your risk increases, not just in terms of mistakes, but also in the time and resource drain from “figuring it out again” each time.
Why Hiring an In-House Immigration Lead Might Not Be the Right Fit
Some businesses consider hiring an in-house expert. But there are two major barriers:
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Regulatory requirements: Even if you find someone with immigration experience, they cannot provide specific immigration advice to unless both they and your business are regulated. Without this, they’re limited to basic admin and compliance support, which doesn't reduce your risk or give candidates confidence.
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Cost and utilisation: Bringing in a regulated professional (or legally trained equivalent) is expensive. But unless you're consistently managing large-scale international recruitment, that expertise may go underused.
What’s more, if your immigration lead leaves, all your internal knowledge and processes may walk out with them.
What External Immigration Support Actually Offers
External partners, like Immtell, provide more than just document checks. We offer fully regulated, legal immigration advice and practical support to help your team navigate everything from sponsor duties to visa applications and compliance risks.
Typical support includes:
- Sponsor licence applications and management
- Defined and undefined CoS requests
- Visa and settlement applications
- Immigration and right to work check training
- Mock immigration audits and compliance reviews
- Home Office inspection support
We handle the technical detail, keep you compliant, up-to-date and help you move faster with far less risk.
Cost Comparison: In-House Hire vs External Immigration Support
While exact figures vary by provider and scope, here’s how the comparison generally plays out:
In-house immigration lead:
- Full-time salary: often £70,000+
- Pension, NI and benefits
- Ongoing legal CPD costs
Immtell support:
- Regulated sponsor licence guidance: fixed-fee options
- Visa case support: fixed-fee or retained arrangements
- Ongoing compliance packages: priced by business size and hiring volume
- No employment overheads
- Fully regulated advice and service built-in
Immtell’s support is priced in a scalable way. Businesses with light, occasional immigration needs can engage us on a per-project basis, while larger or more active sponsors often benefit from our annual retained packages. The pricing is flexible, and typically comes in far lower than hiring someone in-house with equivalent authority and coverage.
But it’s not just about cost; our advisory input is often where the real value lies. We’re in the trenches every day, advising businesses across sectors, which means our insight is grounded in current Home Office practice, not just published guidance. We help you anticipate change, even when it’s not yet a formal policy shift, and support strategic, risk-led decisions around workforce planning, mobility, and crisis response. Whether it’s adapting to geopolitical shocks like COVID or the war in Ukraine, or responding quickly to sudden compliance issues, we’re on hand to guide you through it all with practical, real-world experience.
Legal Risk and Compliance: Who’s Liable?
Even if an internal team handles your sponsor duties, your organisation and the Authorising Officer are what the Home Office holds accountable. That includes:
- Keeping accurate records
- Reporting changes promptly
- Assigning CoS correctly
- Preventing illegal working
- Responding appropriately during audits
If anything goes wrong, even due to a misunderstanding or an innocent error, your licence, recruitment plans, and even your business reputation could be at risk.
At Immtell, we work with you to identify those weak spots before they cause problems. Our mock Home Office audits, training, and compliance reviews are designed to keep you audit-ready throughout the year.
Speed and Precision: External Experts Save Time and Reduce Mistakes
When you outsource to a team that deals with visa cases daily, you're not paying for hours; you're paying for outcomes.
We know what to look out for. We pre-empt Home Office questions. We write cover letters that actually support your case. And we give you answers that are based on reality, not what you want to hear.
That means less back and forth, fewer refusals, and faster start dates for the people you're trying to hire, and a positive experience for them.
How Overstretched HR Teams Lose Time and Create Risk
We’ve stepped in after situations like:
- CoS issued under the wrong occupation code
- Salary thresholds are misunderstood due to rule changes
- Missing evidence causing visa refusals
- Candidate questions being mishandled because HR wasn’t authorised to respond
- Non-compliance flagged during Home Office audits
The intention was never bad, just that the team didn’t have the authority, time or up-to-date knowledge to do it right.
How External Partners Support Sponsor Licence Compliance
At Immtell, we go beyond reactive support. We help you build confidence and resilience in your immigration systems.
Services include:
- One-off or retained audit prep packages
- Right to work checks and process reviews
- CoS assignment support
- Sponsor licence record-keeping reviews
- Ongoing compliance coaching
We work directly with HR, legal, and hiring managers to make immigration manageable and low-risk, without losing control or visibility.
When In-House Works (And When It Doesn’t)
In-house may be a good fit when:
- Your company consistently sponsors 50+ employees per year
- You’re a multinational with complex mobility needs
- You already have regulated staff authorised to provide immigration advice
But even then, external support is often used for advisory, overflow, audits, or complex cases.
For most other organisations, outsourcing is safer, more flexible, and more cost-effective.
Summary Table: In-House vs External Support pgsql Copy Edit
| Feature | In-House (Unregulated) | In-House (Regulated) | External Support (Immtell) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legally permitted to give advice | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Medium (£45k+) | High (£70k+) | Flexible and scalable |
| Compliance insight | Low | Medium | High |
| Visa experience volume | Low to moderate | Moderate | High – daily expertise |
| Risk of knowledge loss | High | High | Low – team-based |
| Audit readiness | Limited | Variable | Structured support on hand |
| Training & updates | DIY | Required CPD | Available - training depending on the scope |
| Strategic advisory support | Limited to individual experience | Limited to individual experience | Available – risk-led and strategic |
| Real-time policy insight | Low – reliant on updates | Moderate | High – in-the-field, daily experience |
Choose the Support That Works for You
Managing immigration well isn’t just about meeting legal requirements; it’s about protecting your time, avoiding disruption, and keeping your hiring plans on track. If your internal team is already stretched or you only handle a few visa cases a year, external support can save hours, reduce risk, and give you far greater confidence in what’s being done.
At Immtell, we don’t overcomplicate things. We work alongside you, get things done correctly, and make immigration one less thing to worry about. Whether you need one-off help or ongoing support, you’ll always have someone in your corner who knows the system and knows how to move things forward.
Want to take immigration off your plate so you can focus on growing your team?
We help businesses get things done quickly, properly, and with far less stress. Whether it’s sorting visas, sponsor licence support, or dealing with the Home Office, we handle it, so you don’t have to.
We help businesses get things done quickly, properly, and with far less stress. Whether it’s sorting visas, sponsor licence support, or dealing with the Home Office, we handle it, so you don’t have to.
Further Reading
Choose the Right UK Immigration Consultancy for Your Business
Finding the Right Immigration Partner for Your Business Success
Become a Sponsor: Steps for Employers and Businesses
Business Requirements for a Sponsorship Licence in 2025
Weighing the Balance: The Pros and Cons of Sponsoring an Immigrant
Key Considerations for Employers Sponsoring Immigrant Workers in 2025
Home Office Sponsor Licence Holders: Reporting Duties
A Guide to Complying with Home Office Sponsor Duties for Employers
All You Need to Know About Sponsor Licences
Guide to Hiring Global Talent: Everything You Need to Know About Sponsor Licences
UK Sponsor Licence Compliance: 2024 in Review and What to Expect in 2025
Be Prepared for Increased Home Office Sponsor Compliance Activities in 2025
7 Common Sponsor Duties HR Teams Miss
What HR and Ops Teams Often Miss: Key Home Office Sponsor Duties Highlighted by Our Mock Audits
Understanding Your Legal Responsibilities as a UK Sponsor Licence Holder
From record keeping to reporting changes—make sure your processes meet Home Office expectations.
Avoid UK Illegal Working Penalties: Right to Work Compliance 2025
Protect Your Business from Fines and Reputational Damage with Proactive UK Right to Work Compliance Strategies