Research jobs with UK visa sponsorship | Sponsored Jobs UK

Research jobs with UK visa sponsorship

Postdoctoral fellowships, research assistant and research fellow roles at UK universities and institutes.

Exceptional talent? The Global Talent Visa lets you skip sponsorship entirely.

UK universities and independent research institutes sponsor research staff routinely. Every listing here is at an employer holding a valid Home Office sponsor licence, verified against the current gov.uk register each day.

Two visa routes dominate: Skilled Worker, via the university or institute's Certificate of Sponsorship, and Global Talent, for candidates with a substantial publication record and formal endorsement from a UK research body. Global Talent is not tied to a single sponsor, so you can change employers freely.

The general Skilled Worker salary threshold is Β£41,700. Most postdoctoral and research fellow roles at Russell Group universities meet or exceed this - check the specific role's going rate. New-entrant discounts (for candidates within 4 years of their first UK Skilled Worker CoS, or under 26) can reduce the threshold for early-career researchers.

Common visa routes: Skilled WorkerGlobal TalentHigh Potential Individual

110 sponsor-verified roles

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Cambridge University Press & Assessment Cambridge, England, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Libraries & Archives
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 2d ago

Postdoctoral Fellow - Structural Biology and Cytoskeletal Remodeling - Chaaban Lab

The Francis Crick Institute London, England, United Kingdom
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 2d ago

Research Associate in Chemical Biology

The University of Manchester Manchester, England, United Kingdom Department of Chemistry
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 2d ago

Research Assistant

University of Leicester Leicester, England, United Kingdom
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 2d ago

Research Fellow

University of Sussex Falmer, England, United Kingdom School of Psychology
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 2d ago

Research Associate in Immunology

University of York York, England, United Kingdom Hull York Medical School
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 2d ago

Research Fellow

Leeds Beckett University Leeds, England, United Kingdom Leeds Beckett University – Carnegie School of Education
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Fellow

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine London, England, United Kingdom Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Dynamics
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Assistant/Associate

Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Public Health Research Officer

Public Health Wales Cardiff CF10 4BZ Healthcare Science
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Royal College of Art London, England, United Kingdom School of Architecture
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom School of Population Health Sciences / Usher Institute / Centre for Population Health Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Assistant

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Usher Institute, School of Population Health Sciences / Centre for Medical Informatics
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

PhD Studentship: From Variants to Placental Function: Using Cell-free DNA to Dissect the Functional Genomics of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

University of Exeter Exeter, England, United Kingdom Clinical and Biomedical Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Associate in Analytical Sciences

University of Leicester Leicester, England, United Kingdom Chemical, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Postdoctoral Research Scientist

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Assistant

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Assistant: MARGINS

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom Department of Psychiatry
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

University of Reading Reading, England, United Kingdom
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Assistant

University of Reading Reading, England, United Kingdom
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Research Fellow

University of Warwick Coventry, England, United Kingdom Mathematics
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 3d ago

Clinical Research Fellow: MacTel

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London EC1V 2PD Healthcare Science
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Research Assistant

Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield, England, United Kingdom College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences - The School of Sports and Physical Activity
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Research Assistant / Research Fellow

UCL London, England, United Kingdom School of Pharmacy
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Research Fellow

University of Birmingham Birmingham, England, United Kingdom Department of Metabolism and Systems Science
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

PhD Studentship: Rare variant functional genomics for better understanding, prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders

University of Exeter Exeter, England, United Kingdom Clinical and Biomedical Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Exeter Penryn, England, United Kingdom Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Exeter Penryn, England, United Kingdom Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Research Assistant

University of Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom School of Cancer Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Research Fellow in Structural Biology (CryoEM)

University of Leeds Leeds, England, United Kingdom Faculty of Biological Sciences - School of Molecular & Cellular Biology
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Research Fellow

University of Warwick Coventry, England, United Kingdom Warwick Medical School - Warwick Clinical Trials Unit
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 4d ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computational Chemistry

King's College London London, England, United Kingdom Institute of Pharmaceutical Science
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 5d ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Medicinal Chemistry

King's College London London, England, United Kingdom Institute of Pharmaceutical Science
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 5d ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom School of Chemistry - College of Science and Engineering
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 5d ago

Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Bioelectronics and Neuroengineering for Pain

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom Department of Engineering Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 5d ago

Research Assistant - AI Scientist & Computational Cancer Biology

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom Oxford Centre for Immuno-Oncology
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 5d ago

Assistant Professor / Research Fellow

University of Warwick Coventry, England, United Kingdom WMG - Research
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 5d ago

Research Assistant

Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom Faculty of Medical Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 6d ago

Research Fellow

University of Birmingham Birmingham, England, United Kingdom Department of Pharmacy
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 6d ago

Research Associate in Cancer Biology

University of Bristol Bristol, England, United Kingdom Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 6d ago

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom Department of Experimental Psychology
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 6d ago

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Oxford Oxford, England, United Kingdom Department of Experimental Psychology
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 6d ago

Research Fellow

University of Warwick Coventry, England, United Kingdom WMS - Warwick Clinical Trials Unit
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 6d ago

Research Fellow

University of Warwick Coventry, England, United Kingdom Physics
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 1w ago

Postdoctoral Research Scientist (Data Science)

Quadram Institute Bioscience Norwich, England, United Kingdom The Hildebrand Group
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 1w ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Centre for Inflammation Research
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 1w ago

Postdoctoral Research Associate

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Centre for Inflammation Research
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 1w ago

Research Assistant

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom CSE - School of Biological Sciences
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 1w ago

Research Fellow

UCL London, England, United Kingdom Cortese Laboratory / Department of Neuromuscular Diseases
Verified Sponsor βœ“ 1w ago
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We check the Home Office register and job boards daily. One email when a new sponsored research role goes live β€” across every employer, not just one.

Sponsors with the most live roles

Sponsorship for research roles

Which universities sponsor postdoctoral researchers?
Effectively every research-intensive UK university holds a Skilled Worker licence: Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial, Manchester, Edinburgh, KCL, LSE, Glasgow, Bristol, Warwick, Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Southampton, Queen Mary, and the specialist institutes (Crick, Wellcome Sanger, John Innes, Diamond Light Source). Post-92 universities also sponsor - listings here cover both groups.
Do research roles qualify for Global Talent instead of Skilled Worker?
Yes, if you have (a) a strong publication record in a recognised field, or (b) an offer from an eligible institution combined with endorsement from a UK research body (Royal Society, British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering, Academy of Medical Sciences, UKRI, or the Royal Society of Edinburgh). Global Talent is preferable when available - no sponsor tie, 5-year visa, direct path to settlement.
Can I bring dependants on a Skilled Worker visa for a research role?
Yes. A spouse or partner and children under 18 can apply as dependants. Dependant partners can work any job for any employer, with no minimum salary. This differs from the Student visa route, which restricted spouse dependants for most course types after January 2024.
What are the discounted salary rules for early-career researchers?
Skilled Worker offers reduced salary thresholds in specific circumstances: (a) new entrants - candidates under 26, or within 4 years of their first UK Skilled Worker CoS - can qualify at 70% of the standard going rate down to a Β£33,400 floor; (b) PhD relevance - candidates whose PhD is directly relevant to the role can qualify at 90%; (c) STEM PhD roles - reduced to 80% of going rate down to Β£33,400. Check the exact rules on gov.uk before relying on this.