UK Visa Sponsorship for South Korean 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, 194 South Korean nationals were granted UK work visas on the Skilled Worker or Health & Care Worker routes, down 15% on 2024. About 92% came through the Skilled Worker route, spanning professional, technical, and managerial jobs.
The most common occupation for South Korean nationals in 2025 was Programmers and software development professionals (26 grants), followed by Finance and investment analysts and advisers (12) and Management consultants and business analysts (10). 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 South Korean nationals. Filter by sponsor licence, visa route, or occupation.
Top occupations for South Korean nationals
| # | Occupation | Grants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Programmers and software development professionals | 26 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 2 | Finance and investment analysts and advisers | 12 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 3 | Management consultants and business analysts | 10 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 4 | Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. | 10 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 5 | Generalist medical practitioners | 9 | H&CHealth & Care |
| 6 | Other researchers, unspecified discipline | 8 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 7 | Solicitors and lawyers | 7 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 8 | Pharmacists | 6 | H&CHealth & Care |
| 9 | Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors | 6 | SWSkilled Worker |
| 10 | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | 5 | SWSkilled Worker |
Full occupation distribution for South Korean 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: 194 grants across 62 occupations.
Frequently asked questions
In 2025, 194 south korean nationals were granted UK work visas: 178 via Skilled Worker and 16 via Health & Care Worker.