The Reality of Graduate Visa Sponsorship in UK Tech
For international students completing Computer Science degrees in the UK, the question of visa sponsorship is not a box to tick - it is the difference between staying in the UK tech industry and leaving. And the landscape is more navigable than most graduates realise, provided you know which companies to target and how to approach the conversation.
This guide covers the 20 UK tech companies most consistently known to sponsor Skilled Worker visas for graduate software engineers, along with the information you need to apply effectively. If you haven't already mapped your wider job search strategy, start with our guide on how to get a graduate job in tech in 2026.
Key Things to Know Before You Start
The Graduate Visa vs. the Skilled Worker Visa
If you're a recent international graduate from a UK university, you likely have access to the Graduate visa (2 years for bachelor's/master's, 3 years for PhD). This lets you work without sponsorship. Use this window strategically - get your first role, prove your skills, then transition to a Skilled Worker visa sponsored by your employer before your Graduate visa expires.
If your Graduate visa period has ended, or if you studied abroad and are applying directly to UK roles, you need a company on the Sponsor Register - a publicly searchable UK government database of licensed sponsors.
The Salary Threshold
As of 2024, the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa in tech is £38,700 per year (or the "going rate" for the occupation, whichever is higher). Most graduate software engineering roles at the companies below meet or exceed this threshold. Always verify the current threshold on the UK government website before applying.
Tier 1 - Consistent Graduate Sponsors (High Volume)
1. Bloomberg LP
Role types: Software Engineer, Financial Systems Engineer, Data Analyst
Graduate salary: £65,000-£80,000
Known for: One of the most active graduate sponsors in UK fintech. Bloomberg has a dedicated international hiring programme and explicitly states visa sponsorship availability in graduate job postings. Interview process includes a C++ or Python technical screen plus system design.
2. Jane Street
Role types: Software Engineer, Trader, Quantitative Researcher
Graduate salary: £90,000-£130,000+
Known for: Jane Street sponsors virtually all hires regardless of nationality. The firm is international by design. The technical bar is exceptionally high - OCaml, probability puzzles, and logic games feature prominently. See our guide on quant interviews for graduates for specific prep advice.
3. Arm
Role types: Graduate CPU Engineer, Compiler Engineer, Software Engineer
Graduate salary: £40,000-£52,000
Known for: Cambridge-based, deeply international workforce. Arm routinely sponsors graduates from non-EU countries. Roles in CPU design and compiler engineering are highly sought and well-compensated for the Cambridge cost of living.
4. Google UK
Role types: Software Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, Technical Solutions Engineer
Graduate salary: £70,000-£95,000
Known for: Google's London office is one of its largest globally and sponsors extensively at the graduate level. Apply through the STEP or early careers programme. Interview process is 4-5 rounds of LeetCode Medium-Hard plus a system design round for more senior tracks.
5. Amazon UK
Role types: Software Development Engineer, Data Engineer, Applied Scientist
Graduate salary: £55,000-£70,000 + RSUs
Known for: Amazon sponsors at scale across London, Edinburgh, and Cambridge offices. The Leadership Principles feature heavily in every round - international candidates should prepare STAR answers specifically mapped to Amazon LPs.
Tier 2 - Active Graduate Sponsors (Mid-Large Tech)
6. Palantir Technologies
Graduate salary: £65,000-£85,000
Sponsors Forward Deployed Engineers and Software Engineers at their London office. Known for a rigorous "Palantir deployment exercise" interview format. Strong sponsor history for international graduates.
7. Wise (formerly TransferWise)
Graduate salary: £45,000-£60,000
London-headquartered, globally distributed team. Explicitly sponsors graduates. Interview: take-home technical test followed by 2-3 technical rounds. Strong engineering culture.
8. Revolut
Graduate salary: £45,000-£60,000
One of Europe's largest fintechs. Sponsors internationally at the graduate level. Fast-paced environment. Interview involves a live coding challenge and system design discussion.
9. Qualcomm (Cambridge)
Graduate salary: £38,000-£48,000
Cambridge-based semiconductor company. Active graduate sponsor, particularly for embedded systems and wireless engineering roles. Strong for CS graduates with low-level systems interest.
10. Darktrace
Graduate salary: £35,000-£45,000
Cambridge-based AI cybersecurity firm. Sponsors internationally for software engineer and analyst roles. Growing quickly and actively hiring graduates from 2025-2026 cohorts.
11. Ocado Technology
Graduate salary: £38,000-£50,000
The technology arm of Ocado runs one of the most technically advanced robotics and fulfilment platforms in Europe. Actively sponsors. Graduate scheme available with structured rotations.
12. Checkout.com
Graduate salary: £45,000-£60,000
London fintech unicorn. Strong graduate intake and active sponsor. Technical interview involves 2-3 rounds plus a system design component.
Tier 3 - Reliable Sponsors (Established Enterprises)
13-20: Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, HSBC Technology, BT, Barclays, IBM, Capgemini
All eight of these organisations are on the UK Sponsor Register and have active graduate sponsorship tracks. They tend to have longer and more bureaucratic application processes, but their sponsorship is reliable and well-documented.
Important note for Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan: Their graduate technology analyst programmes have hard deadlines in October. Apply early and use our interview playbooks to prepare for their specific technical and behavioural questions.
How to Raise Visa Sponsorship in Interviews
The fear of raising sponsorship needs is one of the biggest mistakes international graduates make. It leads to candidates concealing their visa status until late in the process, creating friction and distrust. Here's the right approach:
When to raise it
At the first recruiter call or application stage - not in the final round. Raising it early filters out companies that won't sponsor, saving both your time and theirs. A simple line: "Before we go further, I wanted to confirm that I'll require visa sponsorship to work in the UK after my Graduate visa expires in [date] - is that something your company supports for this role?"
What to say if they seem unsure
Have the UK Sponsor Register URL ready (gov.uk/check-if-you-can-get-a-skilled-worker-visa) and be prepared to say: "I checked and your company is on the UK's licensed sponsor register, so I believe this should be straightforward - I just wanted to confirm it's available for graduate hires."
Finding Visa-Friendly Roles on GradSignal
GradSignal lists graduate tech roles across the UK with clear role-type and eligibility information. Every role links directly to the employer's careers page where sponsorship status is stated. Browse verified graduate tech roles and set up job alerts so you're notified the moment new sponsorship-friendly roles go live.