How to find a job in the UK as a foreigner

Very few people from abroad. British and Irish citizens can work freely; the Common Travel Area means Irish citizens need no visa, residence permit or employment permit. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who lived in the UK by 31 December 2020 and hold settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme can also take any job.

Everyone else, including EU citizens who arrived after 2020, needs a visa that allows work before starting. The Home Office is explicit: without a visa or EU Settlement Scheme status you do not have the right to work in the UK, and a visitor visa never allows it.

For most people with a job offer, it is the Skilled Worker visa. The employer must hold a Home Office sponsor licence, the job must be on the list of eligible occupations, and the salary must usually reach £41,700 a year or the going rate for that occupation, whichever is higher. Some people qualify at a lower rate, including under-26s, recent UK graduates and people with PhDs.

A few routes need no employer at all: the Graduate visa after a UK degree, the Youth Mobility Scheme for 18–30 or 18–35 year olds from participating countries, the High Potential Individual visa for recent graduates of listed universities abroad, and Global Talent for leaders in research, arts and digital technology. Our UK work visa guide has the full decision path, fees and conditions.

The honest picture first: since 22 July 2025 most sponsored jobs must be higher skilled, generally degree level, and the salary floor rose to £41,700. Many roles that used to be sponsorable are not any more, and care worker visas closed to new applicants from overseas on that date. A foreign candidate is most competitive in occupations where the pay already clears the going rate.

The government publishes two lists that signal shortage. The Immigration Salary List (25 occupation codes) allows a lower £33,400 salary floor and a reduced visa fee, and includes roles such as biological scientists, welders and orchestral musicians. The Temporary Shortage List (60 codes) lets some medium-skilled jobs be sponsored, including logistics managers, IT operations technicians, electricians and plumbers. Check your exact occupation code before you plan around either list.

To find employers who can sponsor, download the register of licensed sponsors: it names every organisation licensed to sponsor workers and is updated regularly. A licence is necessary but not a promise. The employer still has to want to sponsor for this role, at the going rate. Filter job boards for “visa sponsorship” and confirm on the register before you invest time in an application.

• Find a job (GOV.UK): the government’s free job board for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own separate service.
• NHS Jobs: the main board for health roles in the NHS. The government’s guidance for health workers abroad points to it for direct applications.
• Civil Service Jobs: central government vacancies across the UK.
• Commercial boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Reed and Totaljobs, plus the careers pages of the employers on your sponsor shortlist.
• Recruitment agencies in your field. A legitimate agency is paid by the employer; the Home Office’s guidance for health workers states an agency should never ask you to pay a fee for finding you work in the UK.

Spread your effort. Commercial boards carry the volume, but direct applications to a shortlisted sponsor often get read by someone who already knows they can hire internationally.

Expect a two-page CV and a short cover letter, or an online application form with competency questions, especially in the NHS, the public sector and large graduate employers. Many applications pass through an applicant tracking system before a person reads them, so mirror the job description’s wording. See how to mirror job-description keywords.

Interviews are often in two or three rounds and lean heavily on competency questions (“Tell me about a time when…”). Answer with a short situation, what you did and a measurable result. Our STAR interview examples show the pattern. The National Careers Service advises writing “references available on request” rather than listing referees on the CV. Employers usually ask for them once they are ready to offer.

Before your first day, the employer must check your right to work, and it must not discriminate against anyone because of where they are from. If you are changing jobs inside the UK, the legal minimum notice after a month in a job is one week, but your contract can require more, so check it before you agree a start date.

• Your eVisa and share code: non-British, non-Irish workers prove their right to work online with a share code from their UK Visas and Immigration account. A share code lasts 90 days and you can make a new one at any time.
• National Insurance number: if your eVisa or old biometric residence permit does not already show one, apply online. It can take up to 4 weeks, and you can start work before it arrives.
• A UK bank account for your salary. Banks ask for identity, immigration status and proof of address, so bring your eVisa details and tenancy agreement.
• A GP (family doctor): in England, registering is free and you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status. It takes about 15 minutes online.

Sponsorship scams are common, especially in care and hospitality. The Home Office is blunt: UK Visas and Immigration will never guarantee a job, a legitimate employer would never ask for payment to secure a visa, and you will never be asked to pay for a visa in cash or by money transfer. Employers must pay the certificate of sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge themselves.

Before you send documents or money, check the employer on the register of licensed sponsors, confirm the job exists on its own website, and be suspicious of “guaranteed visa” offers or fees for a certificate of sponsorship. Report a scam through the Report Fraud service linked from GOV.UK.

The National Careers Service (England) offers free careers advice and CV guidance. If you are in the UK and claiming benefits, your Jobcentre work coach can help with job search and training. Your university careers service is usually open to recent graduates too.

For your specific situation, start with the guide that fits: UK work visas, UK CV and cover letter, working after graduation or finding work as a refugee. Comparing countries? See how to work abroad.