UK Visa Sponsorship for Russian 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, 406 Russian nationals were granted UK work visas on the Skilled Worker or Health & Care Worker routes, down 19% on 2024. About 98% came through the Skilled Worker route, spanning professional, technical, and managerial jobs.
The most common occupation for Russian nationals in 2025 was Programmers and software development professionals (170 grants), followed by IT business analysts, architects and systems designers (22) and Management consultants and business analysts (17). 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 Russian nationals. Filter by sponsor licence, visa route, or occupation.
Top occupations for Russian nationals
| # | Occupation | Grants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Programmers and software development professionals | 170 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 2 | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | 22 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 3 | Management consultants and business analysts | 17 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 4 | Finance and investment analysts and advisers | 16 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 5 | Sales accounts and business development managers | 14 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 6 | Actuaries, economists and statisticians | 13 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 7 | Financial managers and directors | 9 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 8 | IT project managers | 7 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 9 | Advertising and marketing associate professionals | 7 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 10 | Generalist medical practitioners | 7 | H&CHealth & Care |
Full occupation distribution for Russian 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: 406 grants across 71 occupations.
Frequently asked questions
In 2025, 406 russian nationals were granted UK work visas: 397 via Skilled Worker and 9 via Health & Care Worker.