UK Visa Sponsorship Jobs From India

You're in India and want a UK job that comes with visa sponsorship. The search works the same as for anyone else: the employer must hold a Home Office sponsor licence. The application does not. Applying from India adds a tuberculosis test at an approved clinic, an English language check, and for some jobs a police certificate. This guide covers what changes when you apply from India, in the order you'll meet it.

Fact-checked against GOV.UK on 11 November 2026. This page helps you find employers and plan your application. It is not legal advice.

Find Employers Who Can Sponsor You

A UK employer can only sponsor you if it holds a sponsor licence and gives you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for the visa. An employer that isn't on the register cannot sponsor you, however good the interview goes.

1. Search the live jobs board. Every role there is at an employer on the Home Office register, which we sync daily.
2. Check any other employer in the sponsor directory before you apply.
3. Check the job is on the eligible occupations list and that the salary meets the threshold. A licensed employer still cannot sponsor a role that doesn't qualify.
4. Say in your application that you're applying from India and will need sponsorship. Recruiters can flag it early instead of after the final interview.

Book a TB Test at an Approved Clinic in India

India is on the Home Office list of countries where you need a tuberculosis (TB) test. You need one if you're coming to the UK for 6 months or more, you've lived in India for 6 months or more, and you were living there within the last 6 months.

• Approved clinics only. The Home Office will not accept a certificate from a clinic it hasn't approved. The official list of clinics in India covers cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune and Kerala.
• The test. A chest x-ray. If it isn't clear, you may be asked for a sputum sample.
• Timing. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the x-ray, so don't book it months before you have an offer.
• Children applying with you must also see a clinician. Children under 11 do not normally have an x-ray.

Prove Your English

India is not on the list of majority English-speaking countries that are exempt, so you'll usually need to prove your knowledge of English. Two common ways:

• A degree taught in English. If your degree is from an Indian university and was taught in English, apply to Ecctis for an assessment. Ecctis gives you a reference that confirms it's equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and was taught in English.
• An approved English test, if your degree doesn't qualify.

Start the Ecctis assessment early. It runs separately from your visa application.

Check If You Need a Police Certificate

If you're applying from outside the UK, you need a criminal record certificate for jobs in:

• education, such as teachers and teaching assistants
• healthcare, such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists and dentists
• therapy, such as psychologists and counsellors
• social services, such as social workers

If you've also lived in another country, for example in the Gulf, you may need a certificate from there too. Under 28: any country where you've spent 12 months or more since you turned 18. Aged 28 or over: any country you've stayed in over the last 10 years. Documents not in English need a certified translation.

Healthcare workers should also check the Health and Care Worker visa, which costs less and has no healthcare surcharge.

Apply From India

1. When: up to 3 months before the start date on your Certificate of Sponsorship.
2. How: apply online. You'll then prove your identity either with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre, where you take your passport. You're told which when you apply.
3. Documents: your CoS reference number, passport, job title, salary and occupation code, your employer's sponsor licence number (on the CoS), English proof, TB certificate, and a police certificate if your job needs one.
4. Decision: usually within 3 weeks of proving your identity and providing documents. You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

What It Costs

From GOV.UK, for applying from outside the UK:

• Application fee: £819 for up to 3 years, £1,618 for more than 3 years. Jobs on the immigration salary list pay £628 and £1,235.
• Healthcare surcharge: usually £1,035 per year of the visa, paid upfront.
• Savings: at least £1,270 in your bank account, unless your employer certifies on the CoS that it will cover your first month.

Each family member applying with you pays their own fee and surcharge. The TB test and Ecctis assessment are paid separately.

If You're 18-30: the India Young Professionals Scheme

Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 can apply for the India Young Professionals Scheme visa, which lets you live and work in the UK for up to 2 years without a sponsor. You must be selected in a ballot first, have an eligible qualification and £2,530 in savings. If you're selected, you have 90 days to apply.

It's a ballot, so plan your sponsored job search alongside it rather than waiting for the result.

Applying from somewhere else? See our guides for Pakistan, South Africa, the Philippines and the USA.