Method
How we check visa fit
Every job on SponsorJobs is at a Home Office-licensed sponsor. A licence means the employer can sponsor, not that every role qualifies. So we read each advert and check the role against the Skilled Worker rules.
What the notes on a job mean
| Note | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sponsorable from abroad | The role is at RQF level 6 or above (degree level) and the pay isn't below £41,700, or it's a health or education job on a national pay scale (floor £25,000). |
| Borderline for a visa | Middle skill level (RQF 3–5) or pay between £33,400 and £41,700. Some people still qualify, for example through the Temporary Shortage List or the new-entrant rate for under-26s and recent graduates. |
| If already on a UK visa | Below RQF 3, pay under £33,400, or a care worker role. A new Skilled Worker visa from abroad isn't possible, but someone already in the UK may be able to switch, for example under transitional rules. |
| No note, with a reason such as "Zero-hours / bank" | Nobody can be sponsored for it: zero-hours or bank work, self-employed or commission-only roles. Pay has to be guaranteed and the job has to be a real employee role. |
| No note | The advert doesn't tell us enough to say. |
If the advert itself offers sponsorship, we trust the employer and never mark it as a closed door. The "Visa fit" filter on the jobs page uses the same notes.
How we read an advert
A language model reads every advert when it arrives and answers a fixed set of questions: the skill level, the pay, whether hours are guaranteed, whether it's an employee role, and what it says about sponsorship. Rules then turn those answers into the note. The model only answers when it is confident; otherwise we say nothing. It is automated, so it can be wrong. Please read the full advert.
How Recommended is ordered
The default order on the jobs page ranks each job, not each company, by:
| Visa fit | Sponsorable from abroad counts most, then borderline. Closed doors come last. |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Degree-level roles rank above middle-skill ones, and those above entry-level ones. |
| What the advert says | Adverts that offer sponsorship, or say they may, get a boost. |
| Freshness | New adverts first. After 30 days an advert drops to the end. |
| Recruitment agencies | Listed lower. The sponsor licence is the agency's, and the job is usually at a client that may not sponsor. Day-rate contracts are listed lower too. |
| Detail | A full description and a company logo help a little. |
Each employer appears once before any appears twice, and the first pages mix different fields. How many jobs an employer posts doesn't count. Nothing is hidden: "Latest" and search show every job. If you're signed in and told us you're coming from abroad, the default list skips jobs that can't be sponsored from abroad.
The rules we check against
Skilled Worker rules on GOV.UK, last checked on 27 September 2026: a new visa needs RQF level 6 or above and at least £41,700 (or the occupation's going rate, if higher). The new-entrant rate is £33,400. Health and education jobs on national pay scales need at least £25,000. Care worker roles closed to new applicants from abroad in July 2025. Read the salary rules and the Skilled Worker appendix.