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Skilled Worker visa, in plain English
By Nancy Osazee, Founder
A Skilled Worker visa is permission to work in a specific job for a licensed sponsor. The employer has to be on the register, and they give you a Certificate of Sponsorship for that job. You then apply.
CareerPilot can show jobs where the advert offers sponsorship, or where we have matched the employer to the sponsor register. The visa decision is still the Home Office's.
Written by Nancy Osazee, Founder of CareerPilot. This is a practical note, not advice about your own visa, contract, or legal case. Read the official page linked on this sheet before you rely on a figure.
The three pieces that have to line up
- A sponsor: the employer holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence. Check the register. Do not trust a logo on a job advert.
- A job at the right skill level, with a Certificate of Sponsorship for you. The certificate is a reference number, not a paper visa.
- A salary that meets the rule for your situation. The standard case is option A in Appendix Skilled Worker. Other options exist. The next page is the salary checker.
What this page will not do
It will not tell you that you qualify. Nationality, criminal record, English language, and maintenance funds are on the GOV.UK Skilled Worker page. If you need advice about your own case, use a regulated adviser.
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On CareerPilot
Browse live UK roles where a sentence in the advert offers sponsorship. A refusal takes the job off the list.
Questions
Does a job advert that says visa sponsorship mean I will get the visa?
No. It means a sentence in the advert offers to sponsor. You still have to apply, and the Home Office decides. A place on the sponsor register is not the same thing.
Is the Health and Care Worker visa the same page?
No. Health and care roles can have their own route and salary table. Start with the Skilled Worker page on GOV.UK and the occupation code the employer gives you.
Where are the live sponsored jobs?
On the CareerPilot visa sponsorship jobs page. A job is listed when a sentence offers sponsorship. Register-only employers are in a separate section, and only when the advert does not refuse it.
Sources
- Skilled Worker visa (GOV.UK)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker
- Register of licensed sponsors: workers
Last checked 10 October 2026.