UK visa sponsorship for employers

The licence you need depends on whether the workers you want to fill your jobs are:

• ‘Workers’ - for those with long-term job offers
• ‘Temporary workers’

You can apply for a licence covering one or both types of worker.

Worker licence

A ‘Worker’ licence will let you employ people long-term or permanently. It’s split into:

• Skilled Worker - the role must meet the job suitability requirements
• Intra-company visas - this includes Intra-company Transfer and Intra-company Graduate Trainee, for multinational companies which need to transfer established employees or graduate trainees to the UK
• Minister of Religion - for people coming to work for a religious organisation
• Sportsperson - for elite sportspeople and coaches who will be based in the UK

Temporary Worker licence

A ‘Temporary Worker’ licence will let you employ people on a temporary basis. It’s split into:

• Creative or Sporting Worker - to work as a high-level sportsperson (up to 1 year), entertainer or artist (up to 2 years)
• Charity Worker - for unpaid workers at a charity (up to 1 year)
• Religious Worker - for those working in a religious order or organisation (2 years)
• Government Authorised Exchange Worker - work experience (1 year), research projects or training, for example practical medical or scientific training (2 years) to enable a short-term exchange of knowledge
• International Agreement Worker - where the worker is coming to do a job which is covered by international law, for example employees of overseas governments
• Seasonal Worker - for those coming to the UK for up to 6 months to do farm work