How to Get a UK Visa Sponsorship Job: 6 Steps and Scams to Avoid (2026)

Step 3 of 3: How to apply

Getting a UK sponsored job takes 6 steps, and the free Register of Licensed Sponsors on GOV.UK, updated in November 2026, lets you check any employer in minutes. Most people skip that check, and it's the one that protects you most. The next page lists the official pages and best sites to search.

First, what do you need most right now?

What are you looking for?

📋 Before you start

Have these ready so you can move fast when a real opportunity appears:

• A valid passport
• A UK-style CV of no more than two pages
• Proof of English at B2, or a plan to take an approved test
• Degree certificates and any professional registration, such as for nursing
• Your occupation code and its going rate from GOV.UK
• Savings of £1,270 held for 28 days, unless your employer will certify maintenance

✅ The 6 steps to a UK sponsored job

1. Check your job is eligible. Find your occupation code on GOV.UK's eligible occupations list and check the salary: usually at least £41,700 or the going rate for Skilled Worker jobs, or £25,000 or the going rate for Health and Care Worker jobs, as of 2026.
2. Check the employer is a licensed sponsor. Search the Register of Licensed Sponsors on GOV.UK for the employer's name, town and the route it can sponsor, such as Skilled Worker.
3. Find jobs that offer sponsorship. Search NHS Jobs for health roles, LinkedIn, GOV.UK Find a job and employers' own careers pages. Look for adverts that say visa sponsorship is available.
4. Send a UK-style CV and prepare for interview. Keep it to two pages, with no photo or date of birth. Expect a video interview, and be clear that you'll need sponsorship.
5. Get your certificate of sponsorship. If you're offered the job, the employer assigns you a CoS and gives you the reference number. The employer pays the £525 CoS fee and the Immigration Skills Charge, not you.
6. Apply for your visa on GOV.UK. Apply online, prove your identity with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre, and upload your documents. GOV.UK says decisions from outside the UK usually take 3 weeks.

Tip: check that the job title, occupation code and salary on your CoS match your offer letter exactly. Mismatches can cause delays or a refusal.

Want the official pages and best job sites in one place? They're on the next page.

🕒 What happens after you apply

Once you submit, UK Visas and Immigration checks your application. Decisions can take longer if documents need checking, you need an interview, or your circumstances need extra checks. You'll get the decision by email, with your next steps.

Your employer will then check your right to work before you start. Keep copies of your CoS, offer letter and visa decision together.

⚠️ How to spot visa and job scams

Fake UK job offers aimed at people abroad are very common, especially for care and health jobs. GOV.UK gives clear warnings, and these rules will protect you:

• Never pay for a certificate of sponsorship. Employers must pay the CoS fee and the Immigration Skills Charge. GOV.UK says paying risks losing your money, getting a fake CoS or a refused visa.
• UK agencies must not charge you for finding work. GOV.UK says a recruitment agency should never ask you to pay a fee for finding you work in the UK.
• Be very wary of care worker offers from abroad. New overseas care worker and senior care worker visas closed on 22 July 2025.
• Nobody can guarantee a visa. Only UK Visas and Immigration decides.
• Check the employer on the register. If it isn't listed as a licensed sponsor, it can't give you a valid CoS.
• Ignore urgent payment demands. GOV.UK says no official organisation will ask you to pay on the spot or for your bank details.

In Great Britain, you can report UK agencies that charge recruitment fees to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. Optional extras like CV help can't be a condition of getting a job.

🙋 Small things that make a big difference

Most people who get stuck miss one of these simple habits. They only take a few minutes, and they can save you weeks.

• Start with the register, not the job site. Make a shortlist of licensed sponsors in your field, then look for their vacancies.
• Know your occupation code. Mention the job title that matches it, and check the going rate before you accept an offer.
• Book your English test early. Test dates can fill up, and you need the result to apply.
• Get professional registration moving. Nurses, doctors and other health professionals usually need UK registration, which takes time.
• Ask about relocation help. Some employers help with costs, and some certify maintenance so you don't need to show savings.

Good employers will happily answer questions about the CoS, salary and start date. If an employer won't explain, or asks you for money, walk away.

❓ Quick answers

On the next page: the Register of Licensed Sponsors, the official GOV.UK visa pages and the best sites for sponsored jobs, with tips on searching.

🌍 More work-abroad guides

Not sure the UK is right for you? Compare these employer-sponsored routes too.

Disclaimer: This is an independent information website. We are not an employer, recruitment agency or immigration adviser, and we are not connected to the Home Office or UK Visas and Immigration. We don't hire, sponsor or place anyone, and we don't collect applications. Immigration rules, salary thresholds and fees change often, so always check GOV.UK before you act. Never pay anyone for a job offer, a certificate of sponsorship or a "guaranteed" visa.