To work in the UK from Nigeria, you need permission appropriate to the job and your circumstances. For many sponsored skilled roles, that means a genuine offer from an approved employer, an eligible occupation and a Certificate of Sponsorship, followed by a successful visa application.
England is part of the UK, not a separate work-visa system. Search by profession and employer while checking the route, rather than assuming that any vacancy labelled “visa sponsorship” is available to you.
Choose the route before paying for recruitment
| Situation | Route to investigate | Main check |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible skilled employment | Skilled Worker | Sponsor, occupation, salary and personal eligibility |
| Eligible healthcare role | Health and Care Worker | Specific profession, employer and current route rules |
| Temporary horticulture or permitted poultry work | Seasonal Worker | Approved sponsorship and seasonal restrictions |
From 22 July 2025, care-worker and senior-care-worker roles closed to new overseas applications. This does not mean every nursing, medical or other eligible healthcare role is closed. Check the official overseas health and care guidance before relying on an advert.
Verify sponsor, occupation and salary
Find the organisation’s exact name in the licensed sponsor register. Then confirm directly that it will sponsor your particular vacancy. A licence does not prove that every job in the business qualifies.
The Skilled Worker job rules require an eligible occupation and salary meeting the applicable threshold. The ordinary comparison is the higher of £41,700 annually and the occupation’s going rate, with separate conditions and exceptions for qualifying cases.
Ask for the occupation code and compare the real duties with the code, not just the job title. Do not assume that meeting the general salary amount removes an occupation-specific requirement. Keep the offer, contract and sponsorship information consistent.
Search for a role, not a promise of a visa
Use employers’ careers pages, Find a job and relevant professional platforms. For jobs in the UK, filter by duties, location and seniority before checking sponsorship. Confirm that the vacancy is current on the original employer’s channel.
Prepare a focused CV with accurate employment dates, relevant results and qualifications. State your location and immigration needs clearly. For a regulated profession, investigate registration with the appropriate body alongside the job application.
English evidence and Nigeria-specific documents
For a new Skilled Worker application, the English requirement is generally B2. The official English guidance explains accepted qualifications, overseas English-taught degrees, approved tests and relevant transitional provisions. Some existing visa holders have different rules.
Do not assume that studying in English in Nigeria automatically completes the visa evidence requirement. Check the required confirmation or assessment for the qualification you intend to use.
A tuberculosis certificate may be required depending on your residence history and intended stay. Use the approved clinics for Nigeria and the conditions linked there. Avoid paying an unapproved provider on the assumption that any medical report will be accepted.
Budget beyond the application fee
| Item | Published amount or check |
|---|---|
| Outside-UK application, up to three years | £819 per person under the standard fee |
| Ordinary healthcare surcharge | Usually £1,035 per year |
| Personal maintenance | Usually £1,270 unless an exemption applies |
Check the current costs page for your category and duration. Maintenance evidence is different from a fee, and special routes can have different charges. Add travel, tests, documentation, housing and the period before your first salary.
Treat seasonal work as a separate option
The Seasonal Worker route covers permitted horticultural and poultry work with its own sponsorship and time limits. It is not an unrestricted route to take any job. Check the operator, permitted activity, contract dates and what happens when the placement ends.
Do not interpret a programme quota or an agency’s waiting list as a confirmed vacancy. Ask for the employer, pay, hours, accommodation charges and official sponsorship details before committing funds.
Check the offer and responsibilities
A Certificate of Sponsorship is not a visa and should not be treated as something to buy from an unrelated broker. Confirm unexpected payment requests with the employer through independently verified contact details. Obtain written explanations of fees, services and refund terms.
If an adviser is involved, establish who represents whom and what the engagement covers. Our Fragomen service-scope guide explains questions to ask in an employer-managed immigration case; it is not a recommendation of a particular provider.
If considering an alternative destination, compare the German job-search route. Requirements and employer responsibilities differ, so one country’s sponsorship rules should not be copied into another.
Occupation, location and a usable CV
Ask for the four-digit occupation code and the duties used to classify the role. A sponsor licence does not make every vacancy eligible. Some occupations require a particular list or exception; regulated professions also need their own registration. London is not a separate visa route. Compare guaranteed pay with housing, commuting and professional-registration costs in the actual region.
A focused one- or two-page CV is often a useful starting point, rather than a legal requirement. Show duties, measurable experience, qualifications and availability. A photograph, date of birth and marital status are generally unnecessary for an ordinary application. Describe your current right to work honestly; do not claim permission that a future sponsorship application has not yet provided.
Compare the UK route with legal employment routes in Europe; UK permission and EU national procedures need separate eligibility checks.
Seasonal Worker: check the written terms
The route guide requires applicants to be at least 18. Horticulture permission can cover up to six months; poultry work has its specified seasonal window. It is not a permanent-job route and does not allow dependants. The application fee is £340. Maintenance is normally £1,270 held for the required period unless the sponsor certifies it under the rules.
The current rules require covered horticulture and specified poultry roles to receive at least £12.71 per hour worked and at least 32 hours’ pay each week. Specified skilled poultry codes have different thresholds. This is gross basic pay, not guaranteed take-home after accommodation and other lawful deductions.
Ask who arranges transport, the cost and terms of accommodation, expected deductions, the work location and complaint procedure. Do not assume unrestricted second jobs or an automatic switch to a long-term route. Compare the likely earnings over the actual contract with travel, fees and unpaid gaps before accepting.
