UK Visa Sponsorship for Chinese Nationals
Grants by year
Data starts in 2020. The Skilled Worker route launched in December 2020 and the Health & Care Worker visa in August 2020, replacing earlier Tier 2 categories.
In 2025, 1,345 Chinese nationals were granted UK work visas on the Skilled Worker or Health & Care Worker routes, down 22% on 2024. About 98% came through the Skilled Worker route, spanning professional, technical, and managerial jobs.
The most common occupation for Chinese nationals in 2025 was Finance and investment analysts and advisers (117 grants), followed by Programmers and software development professionals (117) and Management consultants and business analysts (93). Other eligible Skilled Worker occupations are sponsorable too, as long as the employer holds a Home Office sponsor licence and the role clears the salary and skill-level thresholds for its SOC code.
Search the roles below to see who's currently hiring Chinese nationals. Filter by sponsor licence, visa route, or occupation.
Top occupations for Chinese nationals
| # | Occupation | Grants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance and investment analysts and advisers | 117 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 2 | Programmers and software development professionals | 117 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 3 | Management consultants and business analysts | 93 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 4 | Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. | 81 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 5 | Advertising and marketing associate professionals | 71 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 6 | Sales accounts and business development managers | 58 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 7 | Other researchers, unspecified discipline | 56 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 8 | Chefs | 41 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 9 | Marketing and commercial managers | 41 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 10 | Business sales executives | 35 | SWSkilled Worker |
Full occupation distribution for Chinese nationals
Each rectangle is one occupation, sized by grant count and grouped by SOC major category. Color shows year-over-year change vs 2023. Total: 1,341 grants across 135 occupations.
Frequently asked questions
In 2025, 1,345 chinese nationals were granted UK work visas: 1,318 via Skilled Worker and 27 via Health & Care Worker.