Securing a sponsored job is essential to the Skilled Worker visa process. Without sponsorship, you cannot make an eligible application.
A Skilled Worker visa allows suitably qualified overseas nationals to enter or stay in the UK to perform an eligible job with an approved employer. To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have a job offer from an employer who has a valid sponsor license from the Home Office and a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to sponsor overseas nationals. This will be used to support your visa application.
What is sponsorship? What qualifies as an eligible job?
To be eligible to apply for a Skilled Worker visa the applicant must:
Work for an employer approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
Be issued a Certificate of Sponsorship from the sponsor. The Certificate of Sponsorship should outline information about the role, salary and place of work.
Perform an eligible occupation.
Earn a minimum salary threshold depending on the type of work, the date that the Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned and the Immigration Rules.
How can I get sponsored?
In order to gain sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa, you must gain lawful work from an employer approved by UK Visas and Immigration.
Below, we have a list of some eligible occupations and codes on the Skilled Worker visa list:
The full list is available on the UKVI’s website and can be accessed here:
| Occupation code | Job type | Related job titles |
1221 | Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors | Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors |
| 1224 | Leisure and sports managers and proprietors | Cinema managers and proprietors Golf course managers Gym, fitness and leisure services managers and proprietors Marina managers Museum managers and proprietors Parks and gardens managers Theatre managers (excludes hospital service) Leisure and sports managers and proprietors not elsewhere classified. |
| 2121 | Civil engineers | Building and building services engineers Geotechnical engineers Mining engineers Structural engineers Transportation engineers Water engineers (professional) Civil engineers not elsewhere classified. |
| 2134 | Programmers and software development professionals | Computer games designers Computer programmers Software developers Programmers and software development professionals not elsewhere classified. |
| 5330 | Construction and building trades supervisors | Carpenter and joinery supervisors Demolition supervisors Painting supervisors Plumbing supervisors Road construction supervisors Roofing supervisors Scaffolding supervisors Construction and building trade supervisors not elsewhere classified. |
| 3429 | Design occupations not elsewhere classified | Industrial and product designers Packaging designers Performance make-up artists Set designers Visual merchandising managers and designers Design occupations not elsewhere classified. |
| 6213 | Air travel assistants | Flight attendants Passenger services assistants Air travel assistants not elsewhere classified. |
Sponsor List
Below, we have inserted the UKVI’s official list of Registered Workers and Temporary Worker licensed sponsors:
When you are in the process of receiving sponsorship, it is important that you check the list to see that the Company you have received sponsorship from is licensed and registered by the Home Office. This is very important because unfortunately, sometimes, those applying for Skilled worker visas can be vulnerable to scams.
How do I find a sponsored job?
The best way to secure an eligible role in order to secure a Skilled Worker visa is to apply directly via companies or via reputable third party sites.
Some reputable job seeking sites are:
- Indeed.com
- Reed.com
- CV Library
Indeed, Reed and LinkedIn have listings specifically for sponsored roles. Type in ‘visa sponsorship’ for specific results.
Another effective way to find sponsored role is via dedicated career pages on company websites. Most companies will have dedicated career pages for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.
Beware of scams
It is always best to search for sponsorship directly via employers to avoid becoming the victim of a scam.
Some scammers will pretend to sponsor you with false Certificates of Sponsorships.
What to look out for:
Money – A legitimate sponsor and place of business will never ask you to pay for sponsorship. They will also never ask you to pay for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
Certificate of Sponsorship – Below, we have inserted the UKVI’s official list of Registered Workers and Temporary Worker licensed sponsors:
When searching for a sponsor make sure they are listed.
Watch the latest BBC Africa documentary ‘Stranded: Exposing the UK’s immigration scammers’ featuring Carla Thomas to learn more about Skilled Worker visa scams and how to avoid them.
You may also want to read:
How we can help you
Thomas Chase Immigration offer immigration assistance to individuals, families and businesses.
If you have questions or concerns or you would like straightforward immigration advice, or help with applying for a visa, contact us.
Our processes are tried and tested and have proven successful. Yet, we know that each person’s circumstances are different and requires that individual touch when assisting you and when presenting the matter to UKVI.
