This page is part of our toolkit for international medical graduates looking to apply for a visa. Use the menu on the left to navigate the steps needed to practise medicine in the UK.
Step 5 - your job offer
You will need to have a job to come to the UK on a skilled worker (previously tier 2) visa.
Your employer will need to be a licensed sponsor.
Your employer then becomes your sponsor, but only when they have checked that:
- you are appropriately qualified
- appropriately experienced
- have a good level of English
- you can do the job.
They will then give you a certificate of sponsorship to prove this. You must receive this within six months of the job being advertised.
Certificate of sponsorship
A certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record and holds your personal details and information about the job you’ve been offered.
Your sponsor (your employer or deanery) will give you a certificate of sponsorship reference number to add to your visa application.
Your sponsor must also give you some other information to help you to apply, such as how much you will be paid.