UKRI has a legal responsibility to ensure that all its employees have the legal right to live and work in the UK. If we make an offer of employment, we will need to check that you are eligible to work in the UK before you start work.
Check if you have the right to live and work in the UK
If you are a citizen from the UK or Republic of Ireland, you currently have the right to work in the UK.
For European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals starting employment from January 2021, you will need to either have successfully applied under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) for settled or pre-settled status or be eligible for a visa under the UK immigration system.
Find out which countries fall under the EEA.
Irish nationals are not required to apply through the EUSS and will continue to have the legal right to work in the UK under the Common Travel Area rights and privileges.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK
If you do not already have the legal right to work in the UK, you are still welcome to apply for a job with UKRI. We strongly recommend that you use the Home Office website to review the requirements for working in the UK as this will give you an indication of whether you may be eligible to work in the UK under the Points Based System for immigration.
We will assess all job applications using criteria based on the knowledge, skills and experience needed for the post. It is a condition of any offer of employment we make to you that you have, or gain, permission to work in the UK. By law, you will not be able to start working for us until you are able to provide evidence that this permission has been granted, in accordance with Home Office regulations.
If UKRI makes you an offer and you intend to seek permission to work in the UK via a Skilled Worker visa, you must first obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship from UKRI. For a Certificate of Sponsorship to be assigned to you there are requirements that first must be met.
These requirements are:
- the job you’re applying for is skilled to at least degree level (under standard sponsorship) or RQF Level 3 (available for very specific and limited roles)
- the job meets the minimum salary requirement for a Skilled Worker visa
- any route specific criteria, as stated in the Home Office rules, are met
Bring evidence of your right to work to your interview
The Immigration Act 2014 requires employers to check documents to establish a person’s eligibility to work in the UK and comply with any restrictions. Under the Act, we are required to check your eligibility before you start work. We ask all candidates to bring proof of their right to work to their interview.
We will take a copy of this proof and, if you are successful at interview, we will keep this document on your personnel file. If you are not successful, we will shred the documents.
Where sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route is required for the role, or other visa requirements are being undertaken, we will hold the relevant proof until the Home Office provide confirmation of their decision on your visa application, in accordance with Home Office guidance.
Last updated: 22 December 2025