Most of the IT roles we recruit for are with UK employers who need you to already have the right to work in the UK, and to be living here. A small number offer visa sponsorship, and when one does, the job advert says so.
An honest answer before you apply
We'd rather be upfront than leave you waiting to hear back. Sponsoring a worker is a big commitment for an employer, with a Home Office licence, a salary floor and fees on every hire, so most of the businesses we work with only consider people who can already work here.
That means we can help if you already have the right to work in the UK and live here now, or if you're applying for one of the few roles where the advert says sponsorship is available.
If that isn't you yet, please don't register your CV with us for now. We won't be able to put you forward, and we don't want to hold your details without a good reason.
What an employer has to do to sponsor someone
Sponsorship isn't a box an employer ticks on an advert. Before it can offer a sponsored role, a UK business has to apply to the Home Office for a licence, meet the rules for the job and pay fees on every hire. For a five-year certificate of sponsorship, a medium or large employer pays £7,125 in Home Office charges for that one hire, on top of the licence itself.
Already have the right to work in the UK?
Then we'd like to hear from you. You have the right to work here if, for example, you:
- are a British or Irish citizen
- have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- have indefinite leave to remain
- hold a visa that lets you work for any employer, such as a Graduate visa or most dependant visas
If you're in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, changing jobs means your new employer has to sponsor you, so the same rules apply.
Every employer has to check right to work before you start. We ask every candidate the same questions, whatever their background, and we'll ask to see proof at offer stage.
Living outside the UK?
Our clients almost always want people who already live in the UK and can interview, start and work here without delay. That includes British citizens who are living abroad at the moment.
If you're planning a move, please wait until you're back in the UK, or at least have a confirmed date, before registering your CV. Until then we're unlikely to be able to put you forward.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
Since 1 January 2021, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens (other than Irish citizens) need the same permission to work in the UK as anyone else, unless they have status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The main deadline to apply was 30 June 2021, and late applications are only accepted where there are reasonable grounds for the delay. Status is digital, so employers check it online using a share code.
Roles outside the UK
Our work is mainly UK-based, but we do sometimes recruit for employers in Gibraltar and, now and then, elsewhere in Europe, the Middle East and North America.
For these roles you'll normally need to already have the right to work in that country. Gibraltar has its own employment rules, separate from the UK's, and we'll explain what applies to a particular role when we speak to you. As with UK roles, the advert will say if sponsorship is available.
Common questions
Do you offer visa sponsorship?
No. We're a recruitment agency rather than the employer, so we can't sponsor anyone. Sponsorship can only come from the employer, and only a few of the roles we work on offer it.
Can you help with my visa application?
We can't. Immigration advice in the UK can only be given by qualified, regulated advisers, so please use GOV.UK or find a registered immigration adviser.
Can I apply for a role that doesn't mention sponsorship?
You can, but if you would need sponsorship, the employer is very unlikely to be able to offer it. Please say so on your application so that no one's time is wasted, including yours.
I'm in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa. Can you help?
Only for roles where the new employer is able to sponsor you, and the advert will say if that's the case.
Will you keep my CV until I can work in the UK?
No. If you can't work in the UK yet, or aren't living here, please register once that changes. We only keep candidate details we have a real reason to hold, as set out in our privacy policy.
Why do you ask everyone about right to work and location?
Employers have to check that everyone they hire has the right to work in the UK, and most need people who can start here, so we ask every candidate the same questions. We never make assumptions based on someone's name, nationality, accent or where they studied.
How do I find roles that offer sponsorship?
Check the adverts on our jobs page. Any role that offers sponsorship will say so in the advert.
Can you already work in the UK?
If you have the right to work here and live in the UK, take a look at the roles we're working on now.
