Hiring International Employees in the UK

How to employ a foreign worker in the UK?

If you are a UK employer and you are looking to employ a foreign worker, you will need to meet different requirements depending on their nationality, skill-set, as well as the contract length.

If you are employing someone on a Skilled Worker Visa or a Temporary Worker Visa, you must hold a Sponsorship Licence. You must also be registered to sponsor employees to transfer a worker to the UK from an overseas office. If you are hiring a worker who holds a Global Talent Visa, you will not need a Sponsorship Licence, as Global Talent Visa holders are already endorsed by an approved UK endorsing body. It is important to bear in mind when hiring foreign workers that the Tier 3 Visa has been suspended. As a result, you can no longer hire unskilled migrant workers in the UK. 

For those intending to hire religious workers or sportspeople, a Sponsor Licence will be necessary to sponsor their applications for entry clearance.

Our lawyers offer high-quality advice on the process of employing foreign workers. We can assist with applications for Sponsorship Licences and ensure that your company’s HR methods are functioning properly. We can also help you appeal if you have received a Civil Penalty or had your Sponsor Licence revoked.

Get in touch with us now on +44 (0)333 414 9244 or use our online contact form for answers to all your questions about hiring foreign workers. We have offices based in London, Manchester, and Birmingham, as well as in many other locations throughout the UK. We look forward to helping you with your immigration case.

Employing Foreign Workers in UK After Brexit

EU citizens who lived in the UK before December 31, 2020, were required to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme by June 30, 2021. However, late applications are still accepted under specific circumstances, such as compelling or compassionate reasons for delay

Having EU settled status allows EU workers and their families to live and work in the UK without needing a UK visa. Employers do not need a special license to hire individuals with valid EU Settled or Pre-Settled Status. However, they are required to verify the right-to-work status of all employees.

Jobs in the UK for Foreigners

The labour shortages in the UK job market remain a notable challenge. Due to the country’s economic situation, the UK continues to offer job opportunities to attract foreign skilled professionals across various sectors.

Most In-demand Jobs for Foreign Nationals in the UK

The following table shows some sectors and in-demand jobs in the Immigration Salary List for foreign nationals in the UK:

Eligibility Requirements For The Sponsor Licence: Can a UK company employ someone abroad?

Before embarking on the process of applying for a license, it is essential to thoroughly grasp the Home Office criteria that must be met. In essence, your organisation must demonstrate the following:

Criteria:

• Operates as a legitimate and law-abiding company within the UK.
• Maintains a physical presence in the UK.
• Does not pose a threat to immigration control, including avoiding illegal worker employment, having no pending convictions for immigration violations, money laundering, fraud, or similar offenses.
• Has not experienced a sponsor license revocation within the past year.
• Employs reliable personnel responsible for overseeing the employment sponsorship process.
• Adheres to the expected compliance standards for sponsoring employers.

Compliance Duties:

• Maintains an HR system capable of accurately recording sponsored employee information.
• Implements procedures to ensure that only suitable and qualified foreign workers receive a Certificate of Sponsorship.
• Reports significant changes in circumstances to UKVI within 10 working days, such as when a sponsored worker does not commence work as scheduled, departs from employment, or changes job role or location.

The UK Skilled Worker Visa for foreign workers

The UK Skilled Worker Visa is a type of visa designed for foreign nationals who have a job offer from a UK employer in a skilled occupation. This visa category replaced the Tier 2 (General) Visa and is part of the UK’s points-based immigration system.

To qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa, applicants must meet specific criteria, including a job offer from a licensed UK employer, English language proficiency, and earning a minimum salary of £38,700 per year unless exceptions apply, such as jobs on the Shortage Occupation List.

The Skilled Worker Visa allows individuals to live and work in the UK and can potentially lead to settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) and even British citizenship, depending on the circumstances.

Alternative Visas To The UK Skilled Worker Visa for hiring international employees

Here are some alternatives to the UK skilled worker visa:

• The graduate visa
• The high potential individual visa
• The health and care worker visa
• The scale-up visa
• The global business mobility visas
• The temporary worker visas

Eligibility & Visa Fit by Job Type

To work in the UK, employees must fulfil visa requirements and job-specific criteria. Similarly, they must meet the UK employment-related visa requirements consistent with their role.

The UK government designed these visas to address skill shortages in the country and allow eligible foreign nationals to enter the UK and work for their employers. These visas suit specific job types.

You must meet their eligibility requirements to get the visa that aligns with your job role. They include:

• Skilled Worker Visa
• Health Care Worker Visa
• Seasonal Worker Visa 
• Temporary Work Visa

Skilled Worker Visa

The Skilled Worker Visa allows foreign skilled workers to enter the UK and work for a Home Office-licensed employer. It covers most high-demand roles and offers a long-term work opportunity lasting up to 5 years, depending on the conditions of the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). 

You must apply for this visa’s extension before it expires to prevent deportation. Similarly, if you change jobs or employers while on this visa, you’ll need to update it. This visa offers a path to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after living in the country for a consecutive 5 years.

However, those exempt from the 10-year rule to ILR are non-UK dependents or British citizens who still have 5 years to obtain ILR. Additionally, those who can demonstrate a significant contribution to the country’s society and economy may be granted shorter qualification periods. After obtaining ILR and meeting all requirements, they may qualify to apply for British citizenship in the UK.

Eligibility Criteria for a UK Skilled Worker Visa

Employers can qualify to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa if they meet the following eligibility requirements:

• A valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued by their UK employer, detailing the requirements and expectations for the role they will perform in the UK.
• A job offer from a UK employer.
• The job must be in the list of eligible occupations.
• The Home Office must licence the employers
• Employees must fulfil the English language proficiency requirements.
• Employees should have up to £1,270in their bank accounts to demonstrate that they can cover their expenses when they enter the UK.
• Employees must earn£38,700 yearly, or be paid above the market value for their role, or whichever is more.

Foreign nationals who have jobs that fall under some of the following sectors would require a Skilled Worker Visa to enter the UK:

• Education
• Engineering
• Information Technology
• Construction
• Logistics

Health and Care Worker Visa

The Health and Care Worker Visa is a Skilled Worker Visa type that allows professionals in the health sector to enter the UK for work-related reasons. Individuals who can get this visa include physicians, nurses, or health professionals. Social care workers were previously allowed to enter the UK on the Health and Care Worker Visa. However, the UK government immigration white paper released on May 12, 2025, closed the Social care worker visas to new applications from overseas.

Compared to the Skilled Worker Visa, the Health and Care Worker Visa offers additional benefits, including:

• Exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fees.
• Lower application fees.

The Health Care Worker Visa is valid for 5 years and can be extended before it expires. The visa holder must update it if they change employer or jobs. This visa also offers a path to British citizenship after obtaining ILR to stay in the UK indefinitely and maintaining it for 12 months.

Eligibility Criteria for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa

To enter the UK on a Health and Care Worker Visa, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a health professional, such as a doctor, or nurse.
• Receive a job offer from a UK-based employer.
• Have an employer who the Home Office has approved
• Have a placement in an eligible role in the health care sector.
• Get a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the employer.
• Fulfil the English language requirements. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) requires applicants to be proficient in reading, speaking, writing, and understanding English at the B1 level. This English language requirement does not apply to people from English-speaking countries.
• Meet the salary requirement. It typically varies depending on the type of job applicants will do when they enter the UK.

Seasonal Worker Visa

The Seasonal Worker Visa is designed for foreign nationals who have received a job offer, are expected to stay for a short term, and work in horticulture or poultry production in the UK. This visa is ideal for employers relying on workers to conduct business operations and meet market needs during peak seasons.

When granted this visa, foreign nationals can only stay in the UK for 6 months in 1 year. Those coming to the UK with this visa must return to their countries on or before the expiration of their visas, as it doesn’t offer a route to ILR to remain indefinitely in the UK.

Eligibility Criteria for Seasonal Worker Visa

Your requirements to qualify for the Seasonal Worker Visa depend on your situation. However, applicants must meet the Seasonal Worker Visa to enter the UK for short-term work, including the following:

• Have a job offer from a UK employer.
• Have a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the employer.
• Have £1,270 to cover your expenses in the UK.
• Prove that you have an eligible role in poultry or horticulture production.
• Have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and provided any required biometric information.

Temporary Work Visa

The Temporary Work Visa is designed for foreign nationals intending to enter the UK for short-term work. This visa suits several temporary work roles of individuals in multiple fields, including charity, creative arts, and religion.

The Temporary Work visa can also be used to gain work experience or training, conduct research, or participate in a foreign language or exchange programme. It has several sub-categories and can be valid for 6 months or 2 years, depending on the chosen category.

Eligibility Criteria for Temporary Work Visa

Foreign nationals must meet the eligibility requirements for the Temporary Work Visa category they seek. Generally, applicants need to meet the requirements to obtain a Temporary Work Visa:

• Have a job offer from a UK employer
• Have a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the employer
• Prove that you can cater to your financial needs in the UK by having £1,270 in your bank account
• Prove your English proficiency at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) B1 level.

Advice for Employers Hiring Non-residents

As an employer, you must first become a licensed sponsor to hire foreign workers legally under the Work Visa route. Ensure that the foreign workers you’re seeking to fill the job roles in your company are eligible. Also, ensure your salary meets the visa minimum wage threshold for those roles.

It’s also crucial to provide comprehensive job descriptions, assist prospective workers with visa documentation, and remain compliant with the Home Office requirements. To attract global talent to your organisation, you can promote inclusivity and diversity, offer relocation support where necessary, and streamline your recruitment process.

Immigration Compliance when hiring foreign workers

All employers in the United Kingdom must adhere to the illegal working prevention system, which mandates the verification of an individual’s eligibility to work in the UK. This obligation remains in force whether you are recruiting from international sources or exclusively employing individuals from the domestic labour pool.

Engaging an individual in unauthorised employment carries both civil and criminal repercussions. Should you employ someone with reasonable grounds to suspect their illegal status, you would be in violation of a criminal offense. Conviction could result in an unlimited fine and a potential prison sentence of up to 5 years for knowingly employing illegal workers.

Common Challenges of Hiring Foreign Workers in the UK and How to Overcome Them

Employers typically face several challenges when hiring foreign workers for their company in the UK. Some of these challenges include:

Cultural Differences

Cultural differences may affect workplace communication styles, expectations, and company culture integration. This reflects the impact of having foreign workers from different backgrounds, experiences, and interpretations of life.

To overcome this challenge, pre-arrival training on UK workplace norms can help foreign employees adjust quickly. Employers can also integrate employees into teams through mentorship programs or cultural awareness workshops to promote inclusivity, a sense of belonging, and purpose.

Language Barriers

Language barriers can cause misunderstandings or reduced efficiency at the workplace, especially in customer-facing roles. This can slow down the work pace and sometimes lead to unproductivity.

To tackle this challenge, employers can offer language support services, such as English language courses or interpretation tools, to help improve communication in the workplace.

Long Recruitment Cycles

Hiring a foreign worker typically involves a long recruitment procedure. This is due to visa procedures, international interviews, and legal compliance, which can delay onboarding and increase costs.

To overcome this challenge, employers must streamline their Human Resources (HR) processes to handle visa timelines and documentation and keep track of deadlines to reduce recruitment delays.

Employer Responsibilities When Hiring Foreign Workers Abroad

When hiring foreign workers overseas, employers must meet certain responsibilities, such as:

Complying with International Employment Laws

As a UK business owner recruiting overseas workers, you must comply with the UK laws and the employment laws of your overseas workers’ countries. Employers must know if an individual is considered an employee or an independent contractor. This helps determine the level of financial commitment required to maintain your workforce, as hiring independent contractors is more cost-effective than recruiting permanent employees. You must also adhere to the local labour rights, like minimum wage, paid leave, working hours, termination rules, and health and safety standards.

You may need to engage an Employer of Record (EOR) or register a local entity to operate legally in that country. Additionally, note that taxation, social security contributions, and regional labour laws like termination of contract policies and holiday entitlements vary by country. As an employer, you must consider these when hiring overseas workers. To ensure compliance with the UK tax laws, you can also implement the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system to automatically deduct your employees’ National Insurance contributions and income tax from their wages.

Setting Up Remote Work Contracts

UK employers hiring remote workers must create legally compliant contracts tailored to overseas workers. These contracts should outline their job roles, pay structure, working hours, benefits, termination terms, and confidentiality clause. They must also correspond with local legal standards and be enforceable in that jurisdiction.

It is crucial to consult one of our experienced legal professionals at IAS to ensure your compliance with their vast knowledge of the UK immigration and international laws. Call us at +44 (0)333 414 9244 or schedule an in-person meeting with one of our immigration lawyers for immediate support.

Tax Implications for Hiring Abroad

Hiring a foreign worker can raise tax obligations in the UK and your employee’s country. You may be liable for payroll taxes, social security contributions, or corporate taxes overseas, especially if your business activities have led to a permanent establishment.

As an employer, you must also consider double taxation when hiring foreign workers. Treaties that prevent double taxation can reduce the possibility of paying taxes twice. Double taxation treaties reduce the risk of being taxed twice for foreign workers whose countries have an agreement with the United Kingdom.

Understanding the financial implications of hiring workers whose countries do not have double taxation treaties with the United Kingdom is crucial. You must seek expert tax advice from immigration tax advisors to understand whether to withhold taxes locally or let your workers fulfil their taxation duties as contractors.

How Can IAS Help You Hire Foreign Workers

Work visa applications can be intricate, and it is strongly advised to enlist the services of an immigration expert. You must ensure compliance with all mandatory criteria, diligently complete the requisite forms, and assemble the necessary supporting documentation.

Our team of dedicated immigration consultants can assist you comprehensively throughout your Partner Visa application process in the United Kingdom. Our services encompass:

• liaising with you in person, via phone or Skype at a time that suits you;
• assessing your eligibility;
• checking your documents to ensure that they are sufficient for your visa application;
• preparing a Letter of Representation to accompany your application;
• liaising with the Home Office until your case is resolved;
• completing each part of your application form to the highest standard.

IAS has an excellent track record with successful cases, and our lawyers are highly experienced in this field. To apply for a UK work visa, get in touch with IAS online or on +44 (0)333 414 9244 today for professional, no-obligation advice or assistance.