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Free tool for employers · All sponsored routes

Sponsor route finder: which work visa does your hire need?

Answer up to three questions to find the right sponsored route for your hire, and the licence you need to sponsor it.

1Can the person already work in the UK without restrictions?

Your answers stay in your browser.

Your route appears here

We’ll show the route that fits, the licence you need, the main requirements and whether it can lead to settlement.

In short

Which visa does an employer need to sponsor a worker?

Most UK employers hiring from overseas need the Skilled Worker visa, sponsored under a Worker licence. It’s the route for a skilled role in your UK business, and it can lead to settlement.

Moving an existing employee from an overseas group company usually means the Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility), which needs 12 months’ service with the group (none if they’re paid £73,900 or more) but doesn’t lead to settlement.

Scale-up, the other Global Business Mobility routes, and creative, charity, religious and exchange work use a Temporary Worker licence, which costs £611 for a new licence.

Figures checked against GOV.UK on .

The routes

Every sponsored work route at a glance

Routes, licences and settlement

The sponsored routes the finder can recommend
RouteWho it’s forLicenceLeads to settlement
Skilled Worker visaFor hiring someone into a skilled role in your UK business.Worker licenceYes
Health and Care Worker visaA version of the Skilled Worker visa for eligible health and care roles.Worker licenceYes
Scale-up visaFor fast-growing businesses hiring highly skilled people.Temporary Worker licence (Scale-up Worker)Yes
Senior or Specialist Worker visaFor moving an existing employee from your overseas business to the UK.Worker licence, Global Business MobilityNo
Graduate Trainee visaFor moving a recent graduate on your structured graduate programme.Temporary Worker licence (Graduate Trainee, Global Business Mobility)No
UK Expansion Worker visaFor sending senior staff or specialists to set up your first UK branch.Temporary Worker licence (UK Expansion Worker), starting with a provisional ratingNo
Secondment Worker visaFor sending your overseas staff to work on a high-value contract with a UK business.Temporary Worker licence (Secondment Worker, Global Business Mobility)No
Service Supplier visaFor delivering a service contract covered by one of the UK’s trade agreements.Temporary Worker licence (Service Supplier, Global Business Mobility)No
Seasonal Worker visaFor seasonal horticulture and poultry work. Farms don’t sponsor workers directly.Approved scheme operators onlyNo
Creative Worker visaFor performers, artists and crew working in the UK creative industries.Temporary Worker licenceNo
Charity Worker visaFor unpaid voluntary work for a charity.Temporary Worker licenceNo
Religious Worker visaFor non-pastoral religious work, such as working in a religious order or a supernumerary role, for up to 2 years.Temporary Worker licenceNo
Government Authorised Exchange visaFor work experience, research, training or fellowships through an approved exchange scheme.Temporary Worker licence, held by the scheme’s overseeing bodyNo
International Agreement visaFor work covered by international law, such as for an overseas government, an international organisation or a diplomatic household.Temporary Worker licenceNo
International Sportsperson visaFor elite athletes and coaches.Sponsor licence for the International Sportsperson routeLonger stays can

Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker?

Both can bring an employee into a skilled UK role. Skilled Worker suits a long-term move: it leads to settlement and the worker doesn’t need to have worked for you before. Senior or Specialist Worker suits a temporary assignment from your overseas business: it needs time with the group and a higher salary, and the time doesn’t count towards settlement.

Either way the role and pay have to qualify. Check them with the role checker and the salary checker.

Do you need a licence at all?

You don’t need to sponsor British or Irish citizens, people with settled or pre-settled status, or people with indefinite leave. People on some other visas, such as the Graduate visa, can also work without sponsorship until their visa ends. You still need to do a right to work check before anyone starts.

If you do need one, our sponsor licence guide explains how to apply, and the sponsor size checker shows what it costs. You can see which organisations already hold one on the register of licensed sponsors.

Common questions

Good to know

Do Global Business Mobility routes lead to settlement?

No. Time on these routes doesn’t count towards indefinite leave to remain. If the worker wants to settle, Skilled Worker may be the better route.

Can we hold more than one type of licence?

Yes. One Worker licence can cover several routes, and you can add a Temporary Worker licence if you need it.

Do we need a licence to hire someone on a Graduate visa?

Not while their Graduate visa is valid. You’ll need a licence to sponsor them when it ends, if they stay in the role.

Can a visitor work for us while they wait for a work visa?

No. Visitors can do some limited business activities, such as attending meetings, but they can’t do productive work for a UK employer. The worker needs the right visa before they start.

What is the Scale-up visa?

A route for fast-growing businesses: average annual growth of at least 20% over three years, measured by employment or turnover, with at least 10 employees at the start. An alternative endorsement route may also be available. You sponsor the worker for the first 6 months, then they can change jobs without a new sponsor.

How long does it take to get a sponsor licence?

Most applications are decided within 8 weeks. A priority service, where offered, aims to decide within 10 working days. The Home Office may visit before deciding.

What our clients say

What individuals, families and businesses say about working with QC Immigration.

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