Visa Sponsorship Jobs in the UK

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Visa Sponsorship Jobs in the UK

UK employers are increasingly offering visa sponsorship to fill skilled roles they cannot recruit for locally, with strong demand across tech, healthcare, engineering and finance in 2026. This guide explains how Skilled Worker visa sponsorship works in the UK, what it costs, how long it takes, and what to do if your job or employer changes.

What is the UK Skilled Worker visa?
The Skilled Worker visa is the main UK work visa for people who have a job offer from a UK employer with a Home Office sponsor licence. It replaced the old Tier 2 (General) visa. To qualify, you generally need:
  • A job offer from a licensed sponsor, confirmed by a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
  • A role at RQF level 3 or above (broadly, A-level equivalent skill level)
  • A salary of at least £41,700 a year or the "going rate" for the occupation, whichever is higher - some jobs on the Immigration Salary List qualify for a lower threshold
  • English language ability at level B1 or above
The visa can be granted for up to 5 years at a time. You can extend it as many times as you need as long as you remain sponsored, and after 5 years it is the main route towards permanent settlement (see below for how Indefinite Leave to Remain works).

For the full official rules, see the gov.uk Skilled Worker visa guidance.
What does visa sponsorship mean, and what is a Certificate of Sponsorship?
In the UK, visa sponsorship means an employer holds a Home Office sponsor licence and is willing to issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) - a digital record of your job details (role, salary, employer, occupation code) that you need to apply for your Skilled Worker visa.

Sponsorship does not mean the employer pays for your visa or health surcharge - some employers cover these as a hiring incentive, but nothing in the immigration rules requires it. What employers are legally required to pay is the Immigration Skills Charge, currently £1,320 a year for medium and large sponsors and £480 a year for small or charitable sponsors, on top of the cost of issuing the Certificate of Sponsorship itself. These charges are paid by the employer, never by you.

You can check whether a company is a genuine, licensed sponsor on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors before applying for any role.
How much does a Skilled Worker visa cost in 2026?
Visa fees depend on where you apply from and how long your visa is for:
  • Outside the UK: £819 for up to 3 years, £1,618 for more than 3 years
  • Inside the UK (extending, switching or updating): £943 for up to 3 years, £1,865 for more than 3 years
  • Reduced fees for jobs on the Immigration Salary List: £628 or £1,235
On top of the application fee, you will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) of £1,035 for each year of your visa, paid upfront for the full length of stay, and show at least £1,270 in personal savings (held for 28 days) unless you are exempt. A faster, priority decision is available for an extra fee at the point of application.

Your employer pays separately for the Certificate of Sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge - these employer-side costs are never passed on to you. If you want to see how a UK salary translates into take-home pay after tax, try our UK income tax calculator.
How long does the Skilled Worker visa process take?
Once you have submitted your application, most decisions - whether you are applying from outside the UK, extending, switching, or updating your visa after changing jobs - come through within 8 weeks. It can take longer if the Home Office needs to verify your documents or asks you to attend an interview.

If you are applying from inside the UK, you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while your application is pending, or it will be treated as withdrawn. For a new job, you can submit your application up to 3 months before your start date, so it is worth applying as early as your Certificate of Sponsorship allows.
What documents do you need for a Skilled Worker visa application?
The documents you need depend on your situation, but most applicants should prepare:
  • Your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, given to you by your employer
  • A valid passport or other document proving your identity and nationality
  • Proof of your knowledge of English (for example, a degree taught in English or an approved English test)
  • Bank statements showing personal savings, unless your employer confirms it will support you or you are exempt
  • A criminal record certificate, if you are working in education, healthcare, social care or a similar role
  • Tuberculosis (TB) test results, if you are applying from a country on the Home Office list
  • Certified translations for any documents not already in English or Welsh
Your employer's sponsorship team will normally tell you which of these apply to your specific role.
How much notice do I need to give when changing jobs on a Skilled Worker visa?
There is no separate "immigration notice period" - how much notice you give your current employer is set by your employment contract, the same as for any other employee in the UK.

What the visa rules do control is the new job: you can apply to update your visa up to 3 months before your new role's start date, but you must not start working for the new employer until the Home Office has approved that application - starting early is a breach of your visa conditions, even with a signed contract. Since decisions usually take around 8 weeks, apply as soon as your new employer issues a Certificate of Sponsorship, and leave enough of a gap between your notice period and your planned start date.
Can I switch companies (change employer) on a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes, but you need to update your visa before you start the new job - you cannot simply hand in your notice and begin working for a new sponsor straight away. To switch employers:
  • Your new employer must hold a Home Office sponsor licence and issue you a new Certificate of Sponsorship
  • You apply online to update your visa, at the same fee scale as a new application for your visa length
  • You must wait for a decision (usually around 8 weeks) before starting the new role
  • You can normally only be sponsored by one employer at a time, other than an approved second job in a similar field for up to 20 hours a week
The same process applies if you stay with the same employer but move into a different occupation code, or into a job that is no longer on the Immigration Salary List.
What happens if I lose my job on a Skilled Worker visa?
If your employment ends - through redundancy, dismissal, or your sponsor losing its licence - your sponsor must report this to the Home Office, usually within 10 working days. You are typically given 60 days (or until your visa expires, if sooner) to do one of the following:
  • Find a new licensed sponsor and apply to switch your Certificate of Sponsorship to them
  • Switch to a different visa route you qualify for
  • Leave the UK before your permission ends
If you submit a new application within this 60-day window, you are normally allowed to stay in the UK while it is decided. Missing the deadline without a valid application in progress can lead to your permission being curtailed and future visa applications being refused, so contact your new employer's sponsorship team or an immigration adviser as soon as your job ends.
How do I get Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after a Skilled Worker visa?
Most Skilled Worker visa holders can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) - permanent settlement - after 5 years of continuous residence on a qualifying visa. To be eligible, you generally need to:
  • Have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period during those 5 years
  • Still meet the Skilled Worker salary requirement at the time you apply
  • Pass the Life in the UK test, if you are aged 18-64
You do not need to prove your English level again, as this was already checked when you first applied. ILR currently costs £3,226 per person, and you can apply up to 28 days before completing your 5 years.

Note: the government's 2025 immigration white paper proposed extending the standard qualifying period from 5 to 10 years, but this change had not come into force as of August 2026 - always check the latest gov.uk guidance before applying.