How the list works
A search shows two kinds of role and nothing else. First, adverts that say sponsorship is available. Then roles from employers on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors that have used their licence. Within each, the newest roles come first, and one company cannot fill the top of the list. Adverts that say they will not sponsor are left out.
What the advert says
Some adverts state that sponsorship is available. Those sit at the top. More say it is not, or ask for the right to work without sponsorship, settled status, or security clearance that needs years of UK residence. Every advert is read in full by a language model as well as by fixed wording rules, so a line near the end of a long advert still counts. Silence is not a no, but it is not a yes either.
Whether the employer holds a licence
Only organisations on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors can sponsor. We match each employer to the register, which is republished most working days, and flag when the match is uncertain or when a recruitment agency is hiding the real employer. A licence strengthens a role that already offers sponsorship.
Whether they actually sponsor
Around 126,000 organisations hold a licence, but Home Office figures released under freedom of information show only about 9,300 used five or more certificates of sponsorship in 2025. Recent Cos use adds weight.
Whether the occupation is eligible
Since 22 July 2025 a newly sponsored role must be at graduate level (RQF 6) unless its occupation is on the temporary shortage list or the immigration salary list. Roles such as data analyst, marketing executive, HR officer and sales executive sit below that level and can only be sponsored through the temporary shortage list, for certificates issued before 31 December 2026, with no dependants.
Whether the salary clears the bar
The salary must reach both a fixed floor and a share of the occupation's going rate. For someone switching from a Student or Graduate visa, the new entrant rule usually applies: £33,400 and 70 percent of the going rate. The standard bar is £41,700 and the full going rate. A software developer role, for example, needs at least £38,300 for a new entrant. If the advert's top salary is below the bar, the role cannot be sponsored, however willing the employer.
What the tags mean
- Sponsorship mentioned in JDThe advert says sponsorship is available. These roles come first.
- Company has sponsor licenceThe advert does not mention sponsorship, but the employer is on the Home Office register and has used its licence.
Who counts as a new entrant
- under 26 on the date of application
- most recent permission was a Graduate visa that expired less than 2 years ago, or is still valid
- most recent permission was a Student visa for a completed UK bachelor's, master's, PhD, PGCE or PGDE, expired less than 2 years ago
- a postdoctoral job in SOC 2111, 2112, 2113, 2114, 2115, 2119, 2162 or 2311
- working towards a recognised UK professional qualification in a UK regulated profession
- working towards full registration or chartered status with the relevant professional body
Total time as a new entrant, on the Graduate visa and as a Skilled Worker cannot exceed 4 years. Graduate visa time counts.
What sponsoring costs an employer
A medium or large employer sponsoring a Graduate visa holder for 3 years must pay £525 for the certificate and £3,960 in Immigration Skills Charge, £4,485 in total, plus £1,682 once if it has no licence yet. If the same person still holds a Student visa when the certificate is assigned, the mandatory cost is £525.
The Immigration Skills Charge is not payable while you still hold a Student visa when the certificate is assigned, which is one reason some employers prefer to sponsor before the Graduate visa starts.
Where the adverts come from
Every morning: new adverts from LinkedIn and Indeed, Reed, and employers' own careers sites (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Workable, SmartRecruiters and Recruitee boards). The same role seen in several places is shown once. Older LinkedIn adverts are checked every few days and leave the list as soon as they stop taking applications. Adverts that say they sponsor stay for 30 days after posting, licence-holder roles for 14.
Privacy
We keep the search itself: the kinds of role, the level and the lowest salary you picked. The search and its results link are deleted after seven days. To keep browsing after the first few seconds you give an email once on each device. We use it to see how many people the site helps, and we never share it, sell it or send marketing. One cookie remembers your device, so you are not asked again. We count page visits with Vercel Web Analytics, which sets no cookies and does not know who you are. We also count how many visits reach each question, by the site that sent them and by phone or computer, with nothing that identifies you. If you accept analytics cookies, Mixpanel also records the steps you take on the site, such as the kinds of role you pick and the roles you open or apply to. It is not linked to your email or name, and you can change your choice with Cookie settings at the bottom of any page. There is no account and no password, and the site is free.
Rules as at 24 September 2026: Appendix Skilled Worker, HC 997 changes of 22 July 2025, page checked 24 September 2026. Sources: Appendix Skilled Worker, Appendix Skilled Occupations, the sponsor register, Home Office fees. This is guidance from public data, not immigration advice.