knockYour situation
You’re on a Graduate visa. You can work for anyone for now. The visa lasts 2 years, or 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027, and your end date is on your eVisa.
To stay after it, most people move to a Skilled Worker visa. That needs an employer with a sponsor licence and a job that meets the skill and salary rules.
Look for licensed sponsors first
Not every employer can sponsor. The ones that can hold a licence, and they are listed. Aiming at them first saves months.
The general minimum is £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the job if that is higher. Lower figures apply in some cases, such as £33,400 for new entrants. Check GOV.UK for your case before you rely on any of them.
- Start looking for a sponsoring employer early, because switching takes time.
- Take a job that builds your experience even if the first employer can’t sponsor, as long as you keep looking.
- Ask the employer for their sponsor licence number before you sign anything.
What to say on the form
UK forms often ask two things: do you have the right to work, and will you need sponsorship. On a Graduate visa the honest answers are usually Yes, and Yes if you want to stay. Hiding the second tends to come out later, and some offers are withdrawn over it.
What not to do
Never pay for a job, a “guaranteed sponsorship” offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship. A licensed sponsor isn’t allowed to pass its sponsorship costs on to you. If an offer comes with a fee, walk away.