Guides
These guides explain how UK visa sponsorship works for international students and graduates: which employers can sponsor, what the salary rules say, how the Graduate visa and the switch to a Skilled Worker visa fit together, and what to check before you apply.
Start with what sponsorship means and how to check an employer, then the salary rules that decide whether a job can be sponsored, then the Graduate visa and the switch. The Applying guides cover the questions that come up on application forms and after an offer. Each guide links the tools and pages that go with it, so you can check a real employer or a real salary as you read.
Every rule is taken from gov.uk and linked at the end of each guide, every figure carries its date, and each guide shows when it was last checked. Rules change, so a guide is a starting point, not a decision. They are general information, not immigration advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a regulated immigration adviser.
Finding a sponsor
Who can sponsor a visa, and how to check an employer.
- How to find a job that sponsors your visa in the UK Most job adverts never say whether the employer can sponsor a visa. Here is how to check before you spend an evening on an application, using the same public register Visavi checks every employer against. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
- What is visa sponsorship in the UK, and how does it work? Sponsorship is the step that turns a job offer into a work visa. Here is what it means, who can do it, what the employer pays for, what the job has to meet, and how long each step takes according to gov.uk. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Graduate jobs with visa sponsorship in the UK: where to look International students are often told that sponsored graduate jobs are rare. The published data says something more useful: which roles a new graduate can qualify for at the lowest salary, where the licensed employers are, and how to check each one. Every figure here comes from the Home Office tables and register. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
- NHS visa sponsorship: does the NHS sponsor visas? Many NHS clinical jobs have their own visa route and their own pay rules. Here is what the Home Office register and gov.uk say: which NHS bodies are licensed, how the Health and Care Worker visa differs from the Skilled Worker visa, how pay bands work, and what changed for care workers in July 2025. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
Salary rules
Thresholds, going rates and the new-entrant rate.
- Skilled Worker salary thresholds and going rates, explained For most Skilled Worker visas, the salary has to clear two bars at once: the general threshold and the going rate for the job. New entrants get lower rates. Here is how the numbers work, with the Home Office's own tables for common graduate jobs and a dated record of what changed. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
- The new-entrant salary rate for Skilled Worker visas, explained Graduates often qualify for a Skilled Worker visa on a lower salary than an experienced hire in the same job. Here is who counts as a new entrant under the rules on gov.uk, how the number is worked out, and how long the lower rate can be used. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
- The Immigration Salary List and the Temporary Shortage List, explained Since July 2025, most new Skilled Worker visas need a graduate-level job. Two lists in the Immigration Rules make exceptions for some jobs below that level. Here is what each one does, its salary rules and dates, and which entries matter to graduates. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
Visas and switching
The Graduate visa, the switch to a Skilled Worker visa and the dates in the rules.
- Graduate Route to Skilled Worker, the switch in 2026 and 2027 The Graduate visa gives you time to work without a sponsor. To stay longer, gov.uk says you may be able to switch to a Skilled Worker visa, which needs a job with a licensed sponsor. Here is what that takes, the time limit on new-entrant rates, and the dates in the published rules that make the timing matter. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Graduate visa: 2 years or 18 months? The 2027 change The length of a Graduate visa depends on the date you apply. Here is what the rules on gov.uk say, who the shorter visa applies to, what stays the same, and the dates worth knowing if you plan to switch to a sponsored job. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
Applying
Questions on forms, offers and the Certificate of Sponsorship.
- What a Certificate of Sponsorship is, and when to ask about one An offer from a licensed employer is not a visa yet. The step in between is the Certificate of Sponsorship. Here is what it is, what it records, who pays for it, how long it lasts, whether it guarantees a visa, and the questions worth asking as soon as you have an offer. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
- "Do you require visa sponsorship?" What the question is asking Almost every UK application form asks it, and it is easy to misread. Here is what employers mean by the question, what the Student, Graduate and Skilled Worker visas allow for work according to gov.uk, and where you can check your own permission. This guide explains the question. It does not tell you how to answer it. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
Browse by role, place and tool
- All tools Free checks built on the published gov.uk data.
- Companies that sponsor visas Licensed employers by sector and town.
- Going rates by occupation code Every eligible code with its going rate and new-entrant rate.
- Sponsor check Is this employer a licensed visa sponsor?
- Jobs by role Going rates and sponsorship notes for 62 roles.
- Sponsors by town and city Licensed employers in 493 UK towns and cities.
- By university Sponsored work near 97 UK universities.
Jobs that can actually sponsor you.
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