Software developer jobs in the UK with visa sponsorship are open to overseas applicants when a licensed employer sponsors an eligible role. Start with London, where the employers below advertised backend, full-stack and product engineering roles. Also search Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Employers usually look for skills that match their stack and evidence that you can build, test and maintain software. The National Careers Service gives an annual pay range of £30,000 to £75,000, from starter to experienced. The usual UK Skilled Worker visa salary requirement for a software development role under code 2134 is £54,700 for a 37.5-hour week. Career profile · Official going rates
If you’re comparing employer-sponsored work visas or checking UK work permit requirements, start with the Home Office sponsor register and the vacancy itself. UK immigration lawyers and regulated UK visa consultants can advise on a previous refusal, a visa switch or a complicated settlement case. Software developer recruitment agencies can help you find employers hiring internationally. Check what the employer pays before booking UK relocation services, especially if the offer already includes flights or temporary accommodation. Find a regulated immigration adviser
UK software developer salary and qualifications
Look for job titles such as backend engineer, full-stack developer, frontend engineer and mobile developer. Read the duties before you apply. A backend advert might ask for Java, Python or Go, database design and API experience. A frontend role may focus on TypeScript, accessibility and browser testing. A relevant degree, apprenticeship or practical experience can get you into the field. For a sponsored vacancy, check the employer’s qualifications alongside the visa requirements. National Careers Service
£30,000 for starters to £75,000 for experienced developers, according to the National Careers Service. Individual vacancies can pay more.
General Skilled Worker threshold
Usually £41,700 a year or the occupation’s going rate, whichever is higher.
Software development, SOC code 2134
£54,700 standard going rate at 37.5 hours a week. The going rate is adjusted for the hours on your offer.
An offer of £52,000 for 37.5 hours under code 2134 clears the general threshold but falls short of the standard going rate. A qualifying new entrant or an applicant with a relevant PhD may be eligible under different salary rules. The employer should choose the occupation code that fits the duties. A testing specialist and a software developer can have different codes even when both adverts use the word “engineer”. Skilled Worker job requirements · Salary exceptions · Occupation codes
Companies offering UK visa sponsorship for software developers
These employer adverts mention sponsorship. The wording applies to the role shown. Ask the recruiter whether your offer will use the Skilled Worker visa or another route, and confirm the legal employer on the sponsor register. The addresses below are registered offices. Apply through the recruitment links.
Employer
Vacancy, contact and application
Monzo Bank Ltd
Staff Backend Engineer, £130,000 to £170,000 plus equity. The advert offered visa sponsorship and listed London or remote work within the UK. Broadwalk House, 5 Appold Street, London EC2A 2AG. Vacancy and application · Careers · Registered office
Apollo Research AI Ltd
Full-stack Software Engineer (Product), £149,000 to £195,000 for London. The employer said it can sponsor UK visas, subject to the role and candidate. 7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR. Vacancy and recruiting form · Registered office
For international recruitment, tell agencies which roles you want, where you’re based and that you need sponsorship. Ask if they can confirm the hiring company accepts overseas applicants before they send your CV.
How to get sponsorship and apply for a UK work visa
Confirm the vacancy can be sponsored. Verify the legal employer on the register and ask for the salary, working hours, occupation code and visa route. If a recruiter says “remote”, clarify whether that means remote within the UK. Sponsor register
Get your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The employer assigns a Defined CoS for a Skilled Worker application from abroad. It’s an electronic record. Ask for the reference and check the details against your offer. The employer pays the CoS fee. You must use the certificate within three months of assignment. CoS guidance
Gather your visa documents. You’ll generally need a passport, CoS reference, job title, salary, occupation code, employer name and sponsor licence number. First-time applicants generally need English at CEFR B2. If you rely on an overseas degree taught in English, check the Ecctis requirements. Depending on your case, you may need maintenance evidence, a TB certificate, dependant documents or certified translations. Documents · English requirements
Apply online and prove your identity. You can apply up to three months before your CoS start date. GOV.UK will direct you to its identity app or a visa application centre. UKVI usually takes three weeks for an overseas decision after identity checks and document submission. Apply from outside the UK
Standard overseas application fees are £819 for up to three years and £1,618 for longer. The immigration health surcharge is usually £1,035 per year. When you must prove maintenance yourself, keep at least £1,270 available for 28 consecutive days. Day 28 must fall within 31 days of applying. Your sponsor may certify maintenance on the CoS. Fees and maintenance
Embassy contacts and visa verification in Nigeria
Apply on GOV.UK and follow its directions for biometrics. Use the address on your VFS appointment confirmation. The British High Commission handles consular enquiries, while UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) handles visa cases. If you need a TB test, use a Home Office-approved clinic. After approval, check your eVisa in your UKVI account and make sure your passport is linked before travelling. eVisa guidance · VFS Nigeria · UKVI enquiries · Approved TB clinics
British mission
Address and official contact
High Commission Abuja
Plot 1137, Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District, Abuja. Consular contact
Deputy High Commission Lagos
11 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos. Consular contact
Mistakes to avoid. Check the salary against the occupation rate, verify the job on the employer’s careers site, and refuse requests to buy a CoS. Correct any differences between the contract and the sponsorship record before submitting.
UK permanent residence and other work visa routes
The UK calls permanent settlement indefinite leave to remain (ILR). It lets you live and work in the UK without a time limit and access benefits if eligible. Canada’s Express Entry and Rural Community Immigration Pilot are Canadian permanent residence programmes. UK settlement applications go through GOV.UK. UK settlement overview · Express Entry · Rural Community Immigration Pilot
Route
Settlement position under published guidance
Skilled Worker settlement
Usually five qualifying years. Check salary, employer confirmation, absences and the Life in the UK Test where required. Apply for ILR
Scale-up Worker visa
An approved scale-up sponsors the first six months. Settlement may be possible after five qualifying years. Route and application
Global Talent visa
Eligible digital technology leaders generally qualify after three years and potential leaders after five. Employer sponsorship is unnecessary. Route and application
Senior or Specialist Worker visa
Temporary transfer to a linked UK business through Global Business Mobility. The route offers no direct path to settlement. Route and application
Long residence
Generally ten years of qualifying continuous lawful residence. Some periods are excluded. Route and application
On 2 November 2026, the Home Office announced an earned settlement model with a ten-year default and shorter qualifying periods for some groups, including a five-year path for certain earners above £50,271. The live Skilled Worker settlement guidance checked for this article still describes five qualifying years. Check commencement dates and any transitional rules before relying on a settlement timeline. Home Office announcement · Government response
Conclusion
Start by looking at the work you can already do well. If you’ve spent the last three years building and maintaining APIs, a backend vacancy that asks for that experience is a better use of your time than a lead role that expects you to manage several teams. If you’re moving from freelance work into employment, explain how you handled deployments, bug reports and changes after launch. That gives the interviewer an idea of how you work when real users depend on the code.
Before you spend hours on a coding exercise, find out whether the role is open to an overseas applicant. Send the recruiter the vacancy reference and ask which visa the company would use for the job. If the employer needs you to attend the office twice a week, check where that office is before assuming you can live in another city. Confirm the start date and ask what happens if the visa decision takes longer than expected. Those details matter once you have a notice period or a lease to plan around.
Prepare for interviews using examples you can explain without sharing a client’s private code. Pick a feature you built, a bug you traced and a decision you changed after seeing how the software behaved in production. If you describe a speed improvement, know how you measured it and what trade-offs you accepted. If you used open-source work or a personal project, explain how you tested it and what you would change before putting it in front of paying customers. A small example with a clear explanation can give the hiring team something concrete to discuss.
When you get an offer, review the contract and visa details side by side. A quoted package may include shares or a bonus, so confirm the guaranteed basic salary and hours the employer will put on the CoS. Ask for a written breakdown of relocation support. One employer may pay for your flight and temporary housing, while another may reimburse visa fees after you start. If you’re moving with family, check the cost and timing of their applications separately. That will help you work out what you need available before you resign or book travel.
Think about settlement when comparing offers from a new employer and an internal transfer with your current one. Both can get you working in the UK, but the routes have different settlement rules. Once you move, keep a copy of your approval, payslips and travel dates. If you’re considering changing employers, check whether you need to update your visa before starting the new job. When you’re close to applying for ILR, check the qualifying period, absence rules and evidence requirements that apply to you at that point. Updating your Skilled Worker visa · Skilled Worker settlement guidance
For your first application, choose a vacancy with duties you can speak about from experience. Confirm sponsorship with the hiring team, check the legal employer on the register and send your application through the company’s recruitment page. Once you have a written offer with the right salary and a CoS, you can use GOV.UK to apply and track the next steps.
