Finding work in the UK
Looking for work in the UK rests on three fixed points: proving the right to work to an employer, knowing the published minimum wage floor, and understanding how references are taken after an offer is made.
2 dakikalık form · ücretsiz · kayıt gerekmez
A work visa establishes what a person is permitted to do in the UK; finding the job itself runs on employment practice rather than immigration rules, and the two meet at the right to work check. For the routes, see UK work visa routes.
01
How is work found in the UK?
Job hunting runs through three channels: employers' own career pages, job boards, and referrals through a professional network. For candidates applying from outside the UK, whether an employer holds a sponsor licence decides which listings are worth pursuing.
The register of licensed sponsors is published by the Home Office, so whether an employer can sponsor is a matter of record rather than of guesswork. Checking it before applying removes the listings that cannot lead anywhere.
02
How is the right to work proved to an employer?
GOV.UK requires the right to work to be proved to the employer before employment starts, and the form of proof depends on nationality and immigration permission. British and Irish citizens prove it with a passport.
| Status | How the right is proved | When |
|---|---|---|
| British or Irish citizen | Passport | Before starting |
| Visa holder | Share code from the online service | Before starting |
| Settled or pre-settled status | Share code from the online service | Before starting |
03
What is the UK minimum wage?
The hourly floor varies by age. From April 2026 the National Living Wage for people aged 21 and over is £12.71, the rate for ages 18 to 20 is £10.85, and a lower rate applies under 18 and to apprentices.
| Age band | Hourly rate | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 21 and over | £12.71 | National Living Wage |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 | National Minimum Wage |
| Under 18 and apprentices | Lower published rate | National Minimum Wage |
04
How do references work in the UK?
A reference in the UK is requested after an offer is made and while that offer remains conditional. The employer writes to the candidate's previous employer directly, which is why the details given on an application are checked against what that employer holds.
Because the reference is sought from the employer rather than from a person the candidate nominates, dates and job titles are confirmed against payroll records. A discrepancy between an application and those records surfaces at the point the offer is still conditional.
Free starter report
Let us draw up your free starter report
Five short questions. In return you get a one-page report setting out the steps, the documents, the official fees and the timings for the route you chose, each with its source.
05
How is a professional network built?
Networking is the slower channel, separate from scanning listings. In the UK professional bodies, sector events and university alumni communities are the structures through which it is built, and each keeps its own published membership route.
- Professional bodies publish membership grades and the route into each.
- Sector events and conferences list their programmes in advance.
- University alumni communities are open to graduates of that institution.
- Referrals through a network reach vacancies before they are advertised.
06
What does British Global do at this stage?
British Global structures the search: it sets out your target and your timetable in a written preliminary report and shows which visa route your right to work depends on. Immigration status itself goes to a regulated adviser.
- A written report sets the target role, sector and timetable.
- The visa route your right to work depends on is identified.
- The document list for a right to work check is set out.
- Questions about immigration status are referred to a registered adviser.
07
Frequently asked questions
When does an employer check the right to work?
Before employment starts. GOV.UK places the obligation on the employer and the check takes place before the first day rather than after it.
Does every employer sponsor visas?
No. Only employers holding a Home Office sponsor licence issue a Certificate of Sponsorship, and the register of licensed sponsors is published.
When are references taken?
After an offer is made and while it remains conditional. The employer writes to the previous employer directly.
Sources
- GOV.UK — The right to work is proved to an employer before employment starts, and the form of proof depends on nationality and immigration permission; British and Irish citizens prove it with a passport.
- GOV.UK — From April 2026 the National Living Wage for people aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour and the rate for ages 18 to 20 is £10.85, with lower rates under 18 and for apprentices.
- GOV.UK — The Home Office publishes the register of employers licensed to sponsor workers.
