Visa sponsorship jobs and jobs in the UK for foreigners: what you can actually get into

Which UK jobs are open to you depends on two things, in this order: whether you have the right to work here, and whether your qualifications and experience are recognised. The job market matters less than either.

This guide sorts careers by how realistic they are from where you are now. It is not immigration advice, and the rules change often, so always confirm your own position on gov.uk or with a regulated immigration adviser.

£41,700: Usual minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa, or the going rate for the job if higher
Degree level: The skill level most sponsored jobs now need (RQF 6), since 22 July 2025
31 Dec 2026: When the current temporary shortage list for jobs below degree level ends

If you already have the right to work

Settled or pre-settled status, a family or partner visa, refugee status, a Graduate visa or being the dependant of a skilled worker usually lets you do almost any job. Your barrier is UK experience and recognised qualifications, so these careers, which hire on skills and offer training, are the quickest way in.

Healthcare Assistant (£24k - £27k to start) - Paid NHS training on the job, and a route into nursing.
Care Worker (£24k - £27k to start) - Many vacancies and training provided; open to anyone with the right to work.
Teaching Assistant (£18k - £22k to start) - School-based, with routes on to teacher training.
Customer Service Advisor (£24k - £27k to start) - Languages are a real advantage in many contact centres.
HGV Driver (£28k - £35k to start) - Strong pay; an overseas licence usually needs exchanging or a UK test first.
Data Analyst (£26k - £35k to start) - Hires on demonstrable skills; a portfolio counts for more than where you studied.

Careers that can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa

To work here on a Skilled Worker visa you need a job offer from a licensed sponsor, usually at degree level and paying at least £41,700 or the going rate. Health and teaching roles on national pay scales can pay less (from £25,000 or the pay scale). These careers are the ones most often sponsored.

Nurse (£31,049 - £37,796 to start) - Health and Care Worker visa; NMC registration through its test of competence.
Doctor (£36k - £45k to start) - Health and Care Worker visa; GMC registration, usually through PLAB.
Pharmacist (£35k - £45k to start) - GPhC registration; overseas pharmacists usually take the OSPAP course.
Physiotherapist (£31,049 - £37,796 to start) - HCPC registration for international applicants.
Radiographer (£28k - £35k to start) - HCPC registration; NHS trusts sponsor regularly.
Social Worker (£28k - £35k to start) - Social Work England registration for overseas-qualified social workers.
Teacher (£30k - £33k to start) - Apply for qualified teacher status if you trained abroad.
Software Engineer (£28k - £40k to start) - Degree-level tech roles meet the skill level; the salary threshold is the hurdle.
Civil Engineer (£28k - £35k to start) - Degree-level engineering; chartership helps but is not a legal requirement.
Mechanical Engineer (£26k - £35k to start) - Engineering employers are common sponsors.
Quantity Surveyor (£26k - £35k to start) - Degree-level construction profession; RICS membership helps.
Actuary (£32k - £45k to start) - Well above the salary threshold once qualified.

Below degree level: only while on the shortage list

Jobs below degree level can be sponsored only while they are on the temporary shortage list, which ends on 31 December 2026. The Migration Advisory Committee has recommended 28 occupations for a new list from 1 January 2027, including these, but the Home Office has not yet confirmed it. Shortage-list workers cannot bring dependants.

Electrician (£22k - £28k to start) - Recommended for the 2027 list.
Plumber (£22k - £28k to start) - Recommended for the 2027 list.
Welder (£24k - £30k to start) - Recommended, with some of the strongest shortage evidence in the review.
Carpenter (£24k - £27k to start) - Recommended for the 2027 list.
Civil Engineering Technician (£24k - £30k to start) - Engineering technicians are recommended.
Data Analyst (£26k - £35k to start) - Recommended for the 2027 list.

How to find jobs with visa sponsorship

Apply for the job, not the visa. An employer can only sponsor you after offering you a job that meets the Skilled Worker rules; it then gives you a certificate of sponsorship, a reference number you use in your visa application.

Only employers with a sponsor licence can do this. The Home Office publishes every licensed organisation in the register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk, a spreadsheet you can search by name, town and visa route. Check an employer is on it before you apply. A licence does not mean they will sponsor every role, so look for adverts that say sponsorship is available, or ask early in the process.

The most frequent sponsors are NHS trusts and other health employers, universities, schools and large employers in engineering, technology, finance and professional services. Search job boards for the job title with "visa sponsorship", then check each employer against the register.

What sponsorship costs you, and the scams to avoid

You pay the visa application fee and, on most routes, the Immigration Health Surcharge, which covers NHS care; Health and Care Worker visa applicants do not pay the surcharge. Employers pay the Immigration Skills Charge and must not pass it on to you. Some employers also pay or repay your visa fee, but they do not have to.

A genuine sponsor never charges you for a job offer or a certificate of sponsorship. Offers to sell either, agents who guarantee a visa for a fee, and employers you cannot find on the register are the most common scams. If anyone asks you to pay for a job, walk away and check gov.uk before you send money or documents.

Care work from overseas has closed

Since 22 July 2025 employers can no longer sponsor new care workers or senior care workers from abroad. People already in the UK on another visa can still switch into care work until 22 July 2028, after working legally for their sponsor for at least three months, and care workers sponsored in these roles cannot bring a partner or children.

Studying here first

Many people move into UK careers through a UK degree. The Graduate visa then lets you work in any job: for two years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027 (three years after a PhD). Switching from a Student or Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa also counts as a new entrant, with a lower salary threshold of £33,400 or 70% of the going rate.

Getting your qualifications recognised

For most jobs, employers decide for themselves what your qualification is worth. Ecctis, the UK's national agency for overseas qualifications, issues a statement of comparability that tells a UK employer how your degree or diploma compares to a UK one, which helps when the employer has never seen it before.

Regulated professions are different: you cannot work in them at all until the regulator has accepted your qualification, and that usually means an exam or an adaptation course. The table below lists the main ones.

Working in London

The Skilled Worker salary threshold is the same across the UK, so a London job has to clear the same £41,700 as one anywhere else. NHS and teaching pay scales do pay more in London, through high-cost-area supplements and the inner and outer London teacher scales, which helps with the higher cost of living but does not change the visa rules.

Jobs you need UK registration for

Job	Regulator	Usual route if you trained abroad
Nurse or midwife	Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)	Test of competence: a computer-based test, then a practical OSCE exam
Doctor	General Medical Council (GMC)	Usually the PLAB test, unless your qualification is accepted directly
Pharmacist	General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)	Usually the OSPAP course, then a foundation training year and the registration assessment
Physiotherapist, radiographer, paramedic, OT, speech therapist	Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)	International application assessed against UK standards
Social worker	Social Work England (England)	Overseas qualification assessment
Teacher	Teaching Regulation Agency (England)	Apply for qualified teacher status if you trained outside the UK

Questions people ask

How do I find UK jobs with visa sponsorship?

Search for jobs that say sponsorship is available, then check the employer on the register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk. Only licensed employers can sponsor you, and only for a job that meets the Skilled Worker rules: usually degree level and at least £41,700 or the going rate. NHS trusts, universities and large engineering and tech employers sponsor most often.

Do I have to pay for visa sponsorship?

You pay the visa application fee and, on most routes, the Immigration Health Surcharge (Health and Care Worker visa applicants are exempt). Your employer pays the Immigration Skills Charge and cannot pass it on to you. Nobody genuine sells job offers or certificates of sponsorship: treat any request to pay for one as a scam.

What jobs can foreigners get in the UK?

If you already have the right to work, almost any job; healthcare assistant, care worker, teaching assistant and customer service roles hire on skills and train you. If you need a visa, most sponsored jobs are degree-level roles paying at least £41,700, or health and teaching roles on national pay scales: nurses, doctors, pharmacists, allied health professionals, teachers, engineers and software engineers.

What is the minimum salary for a UK Skilled Worker visa?

Usually £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. New entrants (under 26, switching from a Student or Graduate visa, or working towards a professional qualification) can be paid from £33,400 or 70% of the going rate. Health and education jobs on national pay scales start from £25,000 or the pay scale.

Can I still come to the UK as a care worker?

Not from overseas. Since 22 July 2025 employers cannot sponsor new care workers or senior care workers from abroad. People already in the UK on another visa can switch into care work until 22 July 2028.

Is my qualification recognised in the UK?

For most jobs, employers decide. An Ecctis statement of comparability shows how your qualification compares to a UK one. For regulated professions such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, allied health, social work and teaching, the regulator must accept it before you can work, usually after an exam or adaptation course.

Which jobs are easiest to get in the UK as a foreigner?

With the right to work, jobs that train you on the job are quickest: healthcare assistant, care worker, teaching assistant, customer service and warehouse or delivery work. With a visa, the realistic route is a degree-level job with a licensed sponsor, most often in the NHS, teaching, engineering or tech.

Are jobs in London different for foreigners?

The visa rules and salary threshold are the same across the UK. London has more employers and higher pay, including London supplements on NHS and teacher pay scales, but also a higher cost of living.

Not sure which of these fits you?

A good career test narrows the field before you spend money on training, a course or a move.

Find the right career test

General information, not immigration advice. Facts last checked October 2026; check gov.uk before you make plans.