UK Visa Sponsorship Jobs From USA

You're in the USA 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 the USA is simpler than from most countries: there is no TB test and no English test.

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.

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.
4. Say in your application that you're applying from the USA and will need sponsorship.

TB Test

the USA is not on the list of countries where you need a TB test. You still need one if you've lived for 6 months or more in a listed country and were living there within the last 6 months.

Prove Your English

the USA nationals don't need to prove their knowledge of English: it's on GOV.UK's list of majority English-speaking countries. You show your passport instead of a test result.

Police Certificate for Some Jobs

Applying from outside the UK, you need a criminal record certificate for jobs in education, healthcare, therapy and social services. If you've lived in other countries, you may need one from each: under 28, any country where you've spent 12 months or more since turning 18; aged 28 or over, any country from the last 10 years.

If You Work in Health or Social Care

the USA is not on the red or amber list of the code of practice for international recruitment, so the code does not restrict UK employers recruiting health and care staff living there.

The code goes by the country you live in when you apply, not your nationality. Also check the Health and Care Worker visa, which costs less and has no healthcare surcharge.

Apply From the USA

1. When: up to 3 months before the start date on your CoS.
2. How: apply online, then prove your identity with the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre. You're told which when you apply.
3. Decision: usually within 3 weeks of proving your identity and providing documents.

Costs (GOV.UK): £819 for up to 3 years or £1,618 for longer (£628 and £1,235 for immigration salary list jobs), plus a healthcare surcharge of usually £1,035 per year, and at least £1,270 in savings unless your employer certifies it will cover your first month.