UK Work Visa Sponsorship for Italian Citizens
An Italian passport stopped being a UK work permit when Brexit took effect in 2021. The way in now is sponsorship: a job offer from a licensed employer, then a Skilled Worker visa. Here's what the Home Office data shows for Italians.
Grants by year
Of the 3,105 grants in 2025, 1,540 went to people applying from outside the UK and 1,565 to people already here who switched route or extended (50%). For all nationalities together, the Skilled Worker visa statistics show grants outside and inside the UK each quarter.
| Year | Outside the UK | Inside the UK | Skilled Worker | Health & Care Worker | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,482 | 28 | 1,510 | ||
| 2022 | 2,236 | 370 | 2,606 | ||
| 2023 | 1,940 | 708 | 2,648 | ||
| 2024 | 1,676 | 1,316 | 2,992 | ||
| 2025 | 1,540 | 1,565 | 3,105 |
† The Home Office published in-country grants for these years as one combined figure, so the route columns cover the visas granted outside the UK only. The combined amount is in the “inside the UK” column and in the total.
Select a Skilled Worker or Health & Care figure to see where those visas were granted. Grants to main applicants, not dependants. Counting starts in 2021, the first full year of these routes: the Skilled Worker visa opened in December 2020 and the Health & Care Worker visa in August 2020, replacing earlier Tier 2 categories. 2020 itself covers only those opening weeks, so it is left out rather than shown as a year.
Refusals and grants for Italian applicants in 2025
Of the 1,423 Skilled Worker decisions on applications Italian main applicants made from outside the UK in 2025, 12 (0.8%) were refusals, against 20% across all nationalities. Inside the UK, 1 of 1,358 (under 0.1%) was a refusal, against 2.1%.
Of the 133 Health and Care Worker decisions on applications Italian main applicants made from outside the UK in 2025, 4 (3%) were refusals, against 17% across all nationalities. Inside the UK, 0 of 208 (0%) were refusals, against 2.1%.
Show the numbers for Italian applicants
| Route | Granted outside | Refused outside | Withdrawn outside | Share outside | Granted inside | Refused inside | Share inside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker | 1,411 | 12 | 47 | 0.8% | 1,357 | 1 | under 0.1% |
| Health and Care Worker | 129 | 4 | 3 | 3% | 208 | 0 | 0% |
This is what happened to decisions in 2025. It is not your chance of a visa. Counts are main applicants, not dependants.
See how often Skilled Worker visas are refused, for every nationality
In 2025, 3,105 UK work visas on the Skilled Worker or Health & Care Worker routes went to Italian nationals, about the same as 2024. About 89% came through the Skilled Worker route, spanning professional, technical, and managerial jobs.
1,540 of those went to people applying from outside the UK. The other 1,565 went to people already here, switching from a Graduate, Student or other visa, or extending a sponsored job they already had. That second group is the larger one for most nationalities, and it is worth knowing about: if you are already in the UK on another visa, you are on the more common path, not the rare one.
Among the visas granted outside the UK, the most common occupation for Italian nationals in 2025 was Finance and investment analysts and advisers (314 grants), followed by Management consultants and business analysts (101) and Programmers and software development professionals (80). The Home Office publishes no job breakdown for the visas granted inside the UK, so these counts cover the entry clearance half only. 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 Italian nationals. Filter by sponsor licence, visa route, or occupation.
Top occupations for Italian nationals
Visas granted outside the UK only: 1,540 of the 3,105 granted to Italian nationals in 2025 (49%). The Home Office publishes no job breakdown for the visas granted inside the UK.
| # | Occupation | Grants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance and investment analysts and advisers | 314 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 2 | Management consultants and business analysts | 101 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 3 | Programmers and software development professionals | 80 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 4 | Generalist medical practitioners | 64 | H&CHealth & Care |
| 5 | Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. | 60 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 6 | Sales accounts and business development managers | 60 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 7 | Mechanical engineers | 47 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 8 | Specialist medical practitioners | 45 | H&CHealth & Care |
| 9 | Other researchers, unspecified discipline | 43 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 10 | Solicitors and lawyers | 32 | SWSkilled Worker |
Full occupation distribution for Italian 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: 1,538 grants across 138 occupations, counting visas granted outside the UK only. That is 49% of the 3,105 granted to Italian nationals in 2025. The Home Office publishes no job breakdown for the visas granted inside the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Do Italian citizens need a visa to work in the UK?
Yes. Since Brexit took effect in January 2021, Italians need a work visa unless they already hold status under the EU Settlement Scheme, which was for people living in the UK before 2021. The main route is the Skilled Worker visa: a job offer from an employer with a Home Office sponsor licence. 3,105 Italian citizens got a UK work visa in 2025.
How do I move to the UK from Italy?
Job first, then visa, then the move. Nearly all Italian work-visa grants come through employer sponsorship, so the realistic path is finding a role at a licensed sponsor and letting them issue your Certificate of Sponsorship. Doctors and nurses get a better deal through the Health & Care Worker route: lower fees and faster decisions. The High Potential Individual visa rarely helps here, since no Italian university is currently on its list.
How many Italian citizens got UK work visas in 2025?
3,105: 2,768 through the Skilled Worker route and 337 through Health & Care Worker. 1,540 were granted outside the UK and 1,565 to people already here, switching route or extending. Grants have stayed between roughly 1,500 and 3,100 a year since 2021.
What jobs do Italians get sponsored for?
In 2025 the top three were Finance and investment analysts and advisers, Management consultants and business analysts, and Programmers and software development professionals. Any occupation on the Skilled Worker eligible list qualifies, provided the employer holds a licence and the pay clears the threshold for that occupation code, usually £41,700 or the going rate, whichever is higher.
Which UK companies sponsor Italian citizens?
Any employer holding a Home Office sponsor licence, which is every company on Hunt UK Visa Sponsors. The occupation data for Italians skews to finance, consulting, and software. Use the search below to see current openings.
Keep exploring
Current openings from Home Office licensed sponsors. Filter by visa route, salary, and occupation.
Visa trends and top occupations for every nationality, browsable by region.
See what a UK salary is really worth compared with Italy — tax, purchasing power and visa costs.