Yes — technology and IT is one of the UK's strongest sponsorship sectors. Most software developer, data, AI, cybersecurity, and cloud roles are degree-level and pay well above the £41,700 general salary floor, so they clear the 2025 rules comfortably. The main catch is the degree-level (RQF 6) skill requirement, which now excludes some junior support and helpdesk roles that used to qualify.
Technology is one of the best sectors to target if you need visa sponsorship in the UK. Salaries tend to sit above the threshold, the roles are almost all degree-level, and a large number of employers — from global tech firms to fintech scale-ups and consultancies — hold sponsor licences. This guide covers which tech roles still qualify after the 2025 rule changes, the roles most in demand, the salary reality, which employers sponsor, and how to get in with or without a degree.
Why tech is a strong sponsorship sector
The UK has a persistent shortage of skilled technology workers, and unlike some sectors hit hard by the 2025 tightening, tech was largely insulated. The reason is simple: the two biggest filters in the new rules — a degree-level skill requirement and a £41,700 salary floor — are things most professional tech roles already meet. A mid-level software engineer or data scientist is, by definition, doing degree-level work at a salary that clears the threshold, so the changes that pushed many lower-paid sectors out of scope barely touched core tech roles.
Which tech roles still qualify after 2025
The 2025 change that matters most for tech is the lift to degree-level (RQF 6) skill. Professional engineering, data, and security roles are unaffected. The roles now at risk are the lower-skilled end of IT — first-line support and basic helpdesk work — which the Home Office no longer treats as degree-level. Here's the broad picture:
| Role type | Usual status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineers / developers | Eligible | Degree-level; salaries typically well above £41,700 |
| Data scientists / data engineers / AI/ML | Eligible | Degree-level, high demand, strong salaries |
| Cybersecurity specialists | Eligible | Degree-level skill; shortage of qualified staff |
| Cloud / DevOps / platform engineers | Eligible | Degree-level; salaries clear the threshold comfortably |
| IT project managers / product managers | Usually eligible | Depends on the going rate for the specific occupation code |
| First-line IT support / helpdesk | Often not eligible | No longer treated as degree-level after the 2025 change |
The tech roles most in demand
Within eligible tech, some skill sets are sponsored far more often than others because employers genuinely struggle to fill them from the UK labour market:
- Software engineers and developers — backend, frontend, and full-stack, across most languages and stacks.
- Data scientists, data engineers, and analytics engineers.
- AI and machine-learning engineers — one of the fastest-growing sponsored specialisms.
- Cybersecurity and information-security specialists.
- Cloud, DevOps, platform, and site-reliability engineers (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Solutions and software architects.
- Specialist IT roles such as database engineers and network engineers, where degree-level.
The salary reality
This is where tech has a real advantage. For most new applicants the minimum is £41,700 per year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher — and professional tech salaries usually sit above that anyway, so the general floor is rarely the binding constraint. The number to watch is the ‘going rate’ for your specific occupation code, which for some senior tech roles is higher than £41,700. In other words, don't assume any tech job qualifies — check that the advertised salary clears both the general floor and the going rate for that role. Our guide to Skilled Worker visa salary thresholds for 2026 explains how the going rate works and where lower thresholds apply.
Which employers sponsor tech roles
Tech sponsorship isn't limited to household-name tech companies. The employers that sponsor technology roles include:
- Large technology and software companies with established UK operations.
- Fintech and financial-services firms, which employ huge engineering and data teams.
- Consultancies and IT services firms that hire developers and engineers at scale.
- Scale-ups and well-funded startups that hold sponsor licences.
- Non-tech employers — banks, retailers, the public sector — with large in-house technology functions.
The key point is the same as in every sector: only employers on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors can hire you, so an impressive company that isn't licensed still can't sponsor your visa. See our roundup of UK companies that sponsor Skilled Worker visas, and learn how to check if a specific employer can sponsor you before you invest time in an application.
Degree vs experience routes
The role must be at degree level (RQF 6), but that doesn't mean you personally must hold a degree. Tech is one of the sectors where self-taught and bootcamp-trained engineers are common, and what matters is that the job itself is a degree-level occupation and you can do it. A strong track record — shipped products, an open-source portfolio, relevant certifications, and demonstrable experience — can substitute for a formal degree in the eyes of employers. That said, a relevant degree (especially a PhD in a STEM subject) can also unlock lower salary thresholds, so it's worth understanding both routes.
Technology sits alongside healthcare as one of the two sectors where UK sponsorship is most active. If your background is clinical rather than technical, see our guide to NHS and healthcare jobs with visa sponsorship instead.
How to find sponsored tech jobs
Even in a strong sponsoring sector, most job boards won't tell you reliably which tech roles come with sponsorship — so you waste time on employers who can't hire you. The efficient approach is to work from the sponsor register, target roles that clear your salary threshold, and tailor each application. For the full workflow, see our complete guide to UK visa sponsorship jobs. Or create a free Hirely profile to see sponsor-verified tech roles matched to your experience, without vetting each employer by hand.