How to mention visa status and sponsorship on a UK CV
Last reviewed
If you can already work in the UK, put one line in your CV's contact section that starts "Right to work in the UK:" and gives your status, its end date and whether you'd need sponsorship after it. If you need sponsorship now, say so in your cover letter or on the application form, and add the line to your CV if you want every reader to see it. This is practical advice, not a legal rule.
Should you put your visa status on your UK CV?
Yes, as one plain line in your contact details. The University of Manchester's careers service advises students to put the visa they hold or are eligible to apply for in the heading or contact details of their CV, with its end date and any limits on their work. It's practical advice, not a legal rule, and your CV isn't part of the legal check.
The legal check is the right to work check. GOV.UK tells employers they must check that a job applicant is allowed to work in the UK before they employ them. The employer does that with your documents or a share code, not with your CV.
The line only works if it's true. Application forms ask the question directly, employers check before you start and an offer can end when an answer turns out to be false. If an ad says "right to work in the UK" and you're not sure you can apply, read what that wording means first.
What should you write about your visa status on a CV and in a cover letter?
On your CV, write one line that starts with the label "Right to work in the UK:", then give your status, its end date if it has one and whether you'd need sponsorship after that. In your cover letter, say the same in one or two sentences. Copy the example for your situation, then replace the words in square brackets with your own details.
| Your situation | Line for your CV | Line for your cover letter |
|---|---|---|
| You need sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa | Right to work in the UK: requires Skilled Worker visa sponsorship | I'd need your company to sponsor a Skilled Worker visa for this role. I could start [number] weeks after the visa is granted. |
| You're on a Skilled Worker visa and want to change employer | Right to work in the UK: Skilled Worker visa until [end date]. A new employer would need to sponsor me. | I hold a Skilled Worker visa until [end date]. To join your company I'd need you to issue a new certificate of sponsorship, so I can update my visa. |
| You hold the Graduate visa | Right to work in the UK: Graduate visa until [end date]. Sponsorship needed after that. | I can work in the UK on the Graduate visa until [end date]. After that, I'd need a sponsor. |
| You hold the High Potential Individual visa | Right to work in the UK: High Potential Individual visa until [end date]. Sponsorship needed after that. | I can work in the UK on the High Potential Individual visa until [end date]. After that, I'd need a sponsor. |
| You're on a Student visa | Right to work in the UK: Student visa until [visa end date]. Work limit: [your limit]. | I'm on a Student visa until [visa end date], which limits how much I can work. After that I'd need sponsorship or a new visa. |
| You're on the Youth Mobility Scheme (working holiday) visa | Right to work in the UK: Youth Mobility Scheme visa until [end date]. Sponsorship needed after that. | I can work in the UK on the Youth Mobility Scheme visa until [end date]. After that, I'd need a sponsor. |
If your situation isn't listed, keep the same order: the status, what it lets you do now, the end date if it has one, then whether you'd need sponsorship after that. If you need sponsorship, the CV line is optional, and the next section explains why.
Should you say you need sponsorship on your CV?
It's your choice, and we found no published evidence that either option gets more interviews. A line on your CV is on every copy, so every reader sees it. A line in your cover letter or on the application form reaches only the people who read those. Either way, say it early and answer any direct question truthfully.
The trade-off is visibility. If the employer won't sponsor, a line at the top of your CV saves you both time. If it might, a recruiter who would rather not sponsor can also stop there, before they see your experience. In a cover letter you can put the same fact beside your experience, but only the people who read the letter will see it.
Some employers do refuse to sponsor. In a 2024 survey by AGCAS, the association for university careers staff, 75% of respondents from 35 UK universities said some employers won't sponsor Skilled Worker visas for international students and graduates.
So decide by how you're applying. If there's a form, answer the sponsorship question there and explain in your cover letter, and the CV line is optional. When you're sending only a CV, for example to a recruiter by email, add the line, because it's the only place you can say it. Leaving it off your CV isn't hiding it, as long as the employer hears it from you early. Never answer "No" to a sponsorship question to avoid a rejection. The employer checks your right to work before you start, and a false answer can end an offer.
What does each visa status let you do?
Only write what your own status allows. This is what GOV.UK says on its pages for the Skilled Worker, Graduate, High Potential Individual, Student and Youth Mobility Scheme visas.
| Status | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker visa | You must work for a UK employer that the Home Office has approved, have a certificate of sponsorship from that employer, and do a job on the list of eligible occupations. If you change employer, you must apply to update your visa. |
| Graduate visa | You can work in most jobs, look for work and be self-employed. You can't extend it, but you may be able to switch to another visa, for example a Skilled Worker visa. |
| High Potential Individual visa | You can work in most jobs, look for work and be self-employed, but not as a professional sportsperson. You can't extend it, but you may be able to switch to a different visa, for example a Skilled Worker visa. |
| Student visa | You may be able to work. How much depends on what you're studying and whether it's term time. If your application is successful, you'll be told what you can and can't do. |
| Youth Mobility Scheme visa | You can work in most jobs. You can be self-employed if you meet the conditions on premises, equipment and employees, but you can't work as a professional sportsperson. Most people can't extend it. |
The Graduate, High Potential Individual and Youth Mobility Scheme lines each hold two facts: you can work now, and you'd need sponsorship later. Our Graduate visa planner turns your course end date into your deadlines. Not sure your university qualifies for the High Potential Individual visa? Check our list of eligible universities. To see which countries can apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme, use our country guide.
Where does your visa status go on a UK CV?
On your CV, put it in the contact section as its own line, under your name and your location, email and phone. In your cover letter, put it in the first paragraph, after you name the role. Keep it to one line, or two short sentences, in both. Write it the way you'd write your notice period: a plain fact.
A heading such as "Immigration status" with a paragraph under it makes the visa look like the main point of your CV. It's one fact among your details. The rest of the page is for your experience.
You need sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa
Your CVContact section
Your name
[City] · [your email] · [your phone]
Right to work in the UK: requires Skilled Worker visa sponsorship
The highlighted line sits directly under your contact details, as its own line.
Your cover letterFirst paragraph
Dear [hiring manager],
I'm applying for the [job title] role at [company]. I'd need your company to sponsor a Skilled Worker visa for this role. I could start [number] weeks after the visa is granted.
The highlighted sentence goes in your first paragraph, after you name the role.
Optional: You can leave this line off your CV and say it in your cover letter or on the application form instead. If you send only a CV, add it.
If you're applying from outside the UK, add your country after your city and start your phone number with its country code.
Give the same facts on your CV, your cover letter and LinkedIn, so your documents never disagree. If you also want to say it on LinkedIn, put it in your About section as its own short sentence near the start, and keep it out of your headline, which is better used for your job title and skills. The application form asks the question in its own way: see how to answer "Do you need sponsorship?". For messages, emails and calls, see when to tell an employer you need visa sponsorship, which has scripts.
What should you leave out?
Leave out your passport number, your visa or permit reference numbers and your share code. Leave out your full immigration history, and any wording that asks for a favour. None of it helps a recruiter decide, and identity numbers put personal details in a document that many people will see.
A share code lets whoever holds it check the types of job you're allowed to do and how long you can work in the UK for, so give it only to the employer doing your check. A recruiter needs your status today, when it ends and whether you'd need sponsorship after that. A list of past visas is more than they asked for, and it takes space from your experience.
Instead of "I hope you'll consider sponsoring me", which asks for a favour, write a plain fact: "Right to work in the UK: requires Skilled Worker visa sponsorship" on your CV, or "I need Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to work in the UK" in a letter. Whether you can be sponsored depends on the employer and the job, and polite wording can't change either. On an application form, or when an employer asks you directly, answer truthfully and in full.
What happens after the employer reads your line?
If the employer wants to hire you, it has to check your right to work before you start. With your share code, it can check online. Your line doesn't replace that check. It means the recruiter isn't guessing before the check happens.
Only an employer approved by the Home Office can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, and those employers hold a sponsor licence. Look an employer up on our sponsor licence checker before you apply, then browse jobs at licensed sponsors. If you get an interview, read questions to ask an employer about visa sponsorship.
Frequently asked questions
How do I say I need visa sponsorship on a UK CV?
Add one labelled line to your contact details, such as 'Right to work in the UK: requires Skilled Worker visa sponsorship'. Name the visa, keep it to one line and leave out passport numbers and share codes. Say it in your cover letter or on the application form as well.
Should I put my visa status on my UK CV?
Yes, as one plain line in your contact details. The University of Manchester's careers service advises students to put the visa they hold or are eligible to apply for in their CV heading, with its end date and any limits on their work. It's practical advice, not a legal rule.
Should I say I need sponsorship on my CV or only in my cover letter?
It's your choice. A line on your CV is on every copy, so every reader sees it. A line in your cover letter reaches only the people who read the letter. If there's an application form, answer the sponsorship question there. If you send only a CV, add the line, because it's the only place you can say it.
Should I say I need sponsorship in my cover letter?
Yes, in one sentence in the first paragraph, in plain words. For example, say that you would need Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to take the role. It's practical advice, not a legal rule. Keep it true, because the employer has to check your right to work before you start.
Will an employer reject my CV if I say I need sponsorship?
Some may. Only an employer approved by the Home Office can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, so an employer without a licence can't say yes however you word the line. Check the register first, then send your CV to employers that can act on it.
Should I put my passport number or share code on my CV?
No. A share code lets whoever holds it check the types of job you're allowed to do and how long you can work in the UK for. Give it only to the employer doing your right to work check, and keep passport and permit numbers off your CV.
Can I say I have the right to work in the UK on a Graduate visa?
Yes, if it's true today. GOV.UK says the Graduate visa lets you work in most jobs and look for work. Add the end date and say whether you would need sponsorship after it. You can't extend a Graduate visa, though you may be able to switch to another visa.
How do I put a High Potential Individual visa on a UK CV?
Write 'Right to work in the UK: High Potential Individual visa until [end date]. Sponsorship needed after that.' You can't extend this visa, so the end date matters. In your cover letter, say the same in one sentence.
How do I write a working holiday visa on a UK CV?
GOV.UK calls it the Youth Mobility Scheme visa. Write 'Right to work in the UK: Youth Mobility Scheme visa until [end date]. Sponsorship needed after that.' Most people can't extend it, so say when it ends.
How do I say I'm on a Skilled Worker visa and want to change employer?
Give your end date and say a new employer would need to sponsor you: 'Right to work in the UK: Skilled Worker visa until [end date]. A new employer would need to sponsor me.' GOV.UK says you must apply to update your visa to change employer.
Where should I put my visa status on LinkedIn?
There's no rule. If you want to say it, use your About section, as its own short sentence with the same facts as your CV. Keep it out of your headline, which is better used for your job title and skills.