Questions to ask in an interview when you need visa sponsorship
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Ask about the licence, the job details on your certificate of sponsorship, who pays each cost and who supports your extension and settlement. Check the register and the going rate before the interview. This is about the employer's interview, not the interview an immigration officer may hold after you apply.
What should I check before the interview?
Do three checks first: the register of licensed sponsors, the employer's company page and the going rate for the job. The register shows whether the employer can sponsor. The company page shows whether it has. The going rate shows the salary to compare with the offer. Then use the interview to confirm what you found.
| Check | Where | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Is it licensed? | Sponsor licence checker and the register of licensed sponsors | Whether the employer is on the register today or was removed. GOV.UK says the register shows the kind of worker an employer can sponsor and its rating. If the brand name finds nothing, search the legal name on your contract. |
| Has it sponsored anyone? | The employer's company page, for example Bupa | Its licence status and routes, Home Office records of the visas it has sponsored, the occupation codes and salary bands of those certificates, and its live jobs, each with a sponsorship likelihood label. Free accounts see the latest year. A Pro account sees the full history. |
| What is the going rate? | Occupation codes and going rates | Each occupation code with its going rate and whether the job is eligible. Not every job title is listed, so ask the employer which code it will use. Job pages on our site show the code we predicted for the advert. Treat it as a guess, because the employer chooses the real one. |
A licence says an employer can sponsor, not that it will sponsor you, so check how many visas it has sponsored. Then look for your job's occupation code among the codes it has sponsored, and for a salary band near your offer. If it has never sponsored that code, ask whether it has sponsored a role like yours. Read the advert again too: our guide to right to work wording explains what each phrase means.
What should I ask about the sponsor licence?
Ask which company would employ you, whether it has sponsored this kind of role recently and who handles sponsorship. You can check the first on the register. Only the employer can answer the last two.
An employer needs a sponsor licence before it can give you a certificate of sponsorship, so these three questions come first.
| Question and why it matters | A good answer | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Which company would employ me, and is that the name on the register? Some employers sponsor through a parent or group company, and the register lists legal names. | The full legal name, matching the register. | Only the brand name, and no offer to find out. |
| 2. Have you sponsored someone in a role like this, and when? A licence says an employer can sponsor. Its history shows whether it does. | A recent, specific example, without names. | "Never, but we'd try." Not a no, but you'd do more of the checking. |
| 3. Who handles sponsorship here? Sponsoring takes work, so someone should own it. | A named person, team or law firm. | "We'll decide that later." |
What should I ask about the job and the certificate?
Ask the employer to confirm the occupation code, the salary and the start date it will use for your certificate of sponsorship. The first two decide whether the job meets the visa rules. Ask to see all three before the certificate is assigned, and keep the answers in writing.
The minimum salary is the higher of two figures: the general threshold, which is £41,700 a year, and the going rate for your occupation code. Some people can be paid less, such as some new entrants, and GOV.UK lists who. Our new entrant salary page covers one case.
| Question and why it matters | A good answer | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Which occupation code will you use for this job? GOV.UK says to ask your employer. The code sets the going rate and decides if the job is eligible. | A code that matches your duties. | No code yet, or a code for a different job. |
| 5. Is my salary at least the higher of the going rate and the general threshold? The salary the employer states has to meet that minimum. | Yes, with both figures named. | "A competitive salary." Or a figure under the minimum and a promise to raise it later. |
| 6. Is the salary on the certificate my base pay, with allowances shown apart? GOV.UK's guidance for sponsors says a Skilled Worker's certificate salary must not include allowances, unless the rules expressly allow them. | A base salary, extras listed apart. | One package figure nobody can split. |
| 7. Can I see the job title, code, salary and start date before you assign the certificate? You give the job title, salary and occupation code in your visa application. | Yes, and they check the details with you. | "HR handles that," and no way for you to reach them. |
| 8. What start date will you put on the certificate? GOV.UK limits how early you can apply before that date and how long you have to use the certificate. | A date with room for the visa decision. | A fixed date with no room for delay. |
| 9. Have you sponsored someone who was already in the UK on another visa? Ask this if you're in the UK now. Switching from inside the UK is a different GOV.UK application from applying abroad, and you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. | Yes, and they describe the steps. | "We've only hired from abroad." |
What should I ask about costs and timing?
Ask who pays each cost and get the answer in writing. The employer must pay your certificate fee and, where it applies, the immigration skills charge, and it must not recover them from you. The visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge are costs of your application, so they're yours unless the employer agrees to pay.
These costs are for the Skilled Worker visa. If your job uses another route, check the cost page for that route. GOV.UK calls the surcharge the healthcare surcharge. It's usually £1,035 a year for an adult, charged for each year of your stay and for each person applying.
| Question and why it matters | A good answer | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| 10. Who pays the visa fee and the surcharge, for me and my family? Each person on the application pays their own fee and surcharge. | A clear split, written in the offer. | "We'll see." Or a split that changes each time you ask. |
| 11. Do you pay the certificate fee, and the immigration skills charge where it applies? GOV.UK says the sponsor pays both, and its licence may be revoked if it asks the worker to pay costs linked to the application. | "Yes, those are ours." | Any plan to deduct them from your pay or ask you to repay them. |
| 12. Will you complete the "sponsor certifies maintenance" section? You usually have to show proof that you can support yourself, unless you've already spent long enough in the UK on a valid visa or the employer covers your first month and the certificate says so. | Yes, and they explain what it covers. | "You'll need your own savings." |
| 13. If you pay any of my costs, do I repay them if I leave? In practice, some employers ask for repayment within a set period. | The clause in writing, and when it applies. | "We'll agree that later." Or a clause that asks you to repay the certificate fee or skills charge. |
| 14. What happens to my start date and offer if the decision is late or the visa is refused? Visas can be refused or delayed, so the employer needs a plan. | A plan: the date moves, the offer stays. | The offer ends on a fixed date. |
What should I ask about extensions and settlement?
Ask what the employer does after your first visa. An extension, a change of occupation code and settlement all involve the employer, so a good sponsor has an answer for each. Ask these questions late in the process and in a friendly tone. Write down the answers.
| Question and why it matters | A good answer | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| 15. Will you support my extension, and which costs will you pay? GOV.UK says you can usually extend if you still have the same job, in the same occupation code, for the employer that gave you your current certificate. | Yes, with a named person and the costs. | "We don't help after the first visa." |
| 16. If my job changes or I'm promoted, will you sponsor the change? A different employer or occupation code means applying to update your visa with a new certificate. Wait for confirmation before you start the new job. | Yes, and HR checks the code first. | "Job titles change. It won't matter." |
| 17. Will you provide the employer document for my settlement application? GOV.UK says your employer must give a document confirming you're still needed for your job. | Yes, and they say who signs it. | They've never heard of it. |
| 18. Has your licence ever been suspended or downgraded, and what happens to me if it's lost? GOV.UK says your certificate is cancelled and your visa is cut short. You must leave the job and the UK unless you make a new application in time. | An honest answer, and a plan to help you change sponsors. | "That would never happen." |
When should I ask each question?
Ask about the licence and the occupation code early. Ask about salary and start date once the employer wants to hire you. Ask about costs at the offer and about extensions and settlement before you accept. The employer should already know you need sponsorship: our guide on when to tell an employer you need visa sponsorship has the scripts.
| Stage | Ask | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Screening call or first interview | Questions 1 to 4 | Easy to answer. If the answer is no, you both save time. |
| Later interviews | Questions 5 to 9 | Salary and dates mean more once the employer wants you. |
| At the offer | Questions 10 to 14 | Costs belong in the written offer. |
| Before you accept | Questions 15 to 18 | You're choosing an employer for your later visa steps too. |
You may not be talking to the right person. A hiring manager can describe the duties, the salary and the start date, but sponsorship is often handled by HR or an outside immigration adviser, so licence history, the certificate, costs and settlement are usually theirs to answer. If the interviewer doesn't know, ask "Who can I ask about that?" and email the questions to that person, so you have the answers in writing.
Answer application questions truthfully. An employer must check your right to work before you start, and a false answer can end an offer.
How do I ask without sounding demanding?
Say what you need in one line, then ask one question at a time. Keep the wording neutral and say why you ask: you want to plan the start date. If an employer won't answer a basic question, treat that as information. If it needs time, ask for the answer by email.
I'll need sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa. Could I ask a few questions about how the company handles it?
Which costs would the company cover, and which would I pay myself? Could we put that in the offer letter?
Frequently asked questions
Is it okay to ask about visa sponsorship in an interview?
Yes, as long as the employer already knows you need sponsorship. Tell them early and truthfully: an employer must check your right to work before you start, and a false answer can end an offer. Save the detailed questions for when the employer wants to hire you.
Should I ask the hiring manager or HR about visa sponsorship?
Ask the hiring manager about the duties, the salary and the start date. Sponsorship itself is often handled by HR or an immigration adviser, so ask them about the licence, the certificate, costs and settlement. If the interviewer doesn't know, ask who to email.
How can I check if a UK employer can sponsor my visa?
Who pays for a Skilled Worker visa, the employer or the worker?
GOV.UK says the employer pays the certificate of sponsorship fee and, where it applies, the immigration skills charge, and must not recover them from you. The visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge are costs of your application, so they're yours unless the employer agrees to pay.