Thousands of people search for UK visa sponsorship jobs every week. Real sponsored jobs exist, but so do fake offers that ask for money. This guide explains how sponsorship works, how to check an employer yourself in two minutes, and what changed for care roles.
What "visa sponsorship" means
To hire most people from outside the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, an employer must hold a sponsor licence from the Home Office and the job must meet the Skilled Worker rules (an eligible occupation and the required salary). If you are offered the job, the employer gives you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), and you then apply for the visa yourself. The Home Office decides every visa application – not the employer and not a job website.
Step 1: Check the employer on the official register
The UK government publishes a free list called the Register of licensed sponsors: workers on GOV.UK. Search for it, open the latest file and look for the employer's exact name and town. If the company is not on the register, it cannot sponsor you on a Skilled Worker visa.
Step 2: Check the job meets the rules
Sponsored jobs must be in an eligible occupation and pay at least the salary the rules require for that role. GOV.UK has a Skilled Worker visa eligibility checker and the full list of eligible occupations. The rules changed in July 2025 (most roles now need to be at degree level and the general salary threshold rose), so always check the current GOV.UK pages rather than older advice.
Care worker roles: what changed
From 22 July 2025, new applications from outside the UK for care worker and senior care worker roles closed. People already in the UK may still be able to switch or extend into these roles during a transition period that runs until 22 July 2028, if they meet the conditions (including recent work for a licensed sponsor). Nurses and other registered health professionals are separate roles with their own rules. If a care job advert promises to bring you to the UK from abroad as a care worker, check it very carefully against GOV.UK.
Warning signs of a fake offer
- You are asked to pay for the job, the Certificate of Sponsorship, "processing" or training before you can start. Genuine employers must not charge you for your Certificate of Sponsorship.
- The employer is not on the register of licensed sponsors.
- The offer arrives without an interview, from a free email address, or via WhatsApp only.
- You are promised a visa. Nobody except the Home Office can decide that.
How Supportive Bridge helps
Our job board lists sponsorship jobs that we take from employers' own careers pages and check against the Home Office register before we publish them. You always apply directly with the employer through the link on the job page. Supportive Bridge does not issue visas or Certificates of Sponsorship and cannot promise a visa outcome.
- Browse sponsorship and care jobs: supportivebridge.com/jobs
- Create your free candidate account: supportivebridge.com/register
- Want help planning your next step? Book a 1-to-1 guidance appointment: supportivebridge.com/appointments
Applying for jobs is free. Never pay for a job offer.
This guide is general information, not immigration advice. For advice on your own case, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor, and always check GOV.UK.