What Employers Need to Know About Skilled Worker Sponsorship

UK immigration rules for recruiting international talent in the oil and gas sector

This article is the first in a four-part series exploring UK immigration in the oil and gas sector and the key considerations for employers recruiting and managing an international workforce.

Across the series, we will follow the employment journey from recruitment and Skilled Worker sponsorship through to sponsor licence compliance, offshore and rotational working, and the role of immigration in longer-term workforce planning.

In this first article, we look at Skilled Worker sponsorship and what employers need to consider before recruiting internationally.

The UK oil and gas sector continues to rely heavily on international talent. From engineers and technical specialists to project managers, offshore personnel and senior executives, access to overseas workers remains an important part of workforce planning across the sector. However, the UK immigration landscape has become significantly more restrictive. For oil and gas businesses looking to recruit internationally, the question is no longer simply whether a candidate is suitably qualified – it is whether the particular role can be sponsored under the current Immigration Rules.

The Skilled Worker route remains central

The Skilled Worker route remains the principal route for UK businesses seeking to employ overseas nationals in eligible skilled roles.

However, since July 2025, the role must normally be skilled to RQF Level 6 (graduate level) unless it falls within one of the applicable exceptions, including certain roles on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, or transitional arrangements.

For oil and gas businesses, this makes careful assessment of the role particularly important.

The job title is not enough

A common misconception is that an employer can select an occupation code based on the job title which appears most closely aligned with the role.

That is not how the system works.

The SOC 2020 occupation code must accurately reflect the actual duties and responsibilities of the position. Different engineering, technical, and project-management roles may fall within different occupation codes and attract different salary requirements.

An incorrect occupation code can create significant risks, including visa refusal and potential sponsor-compliance action.

Salary requirements must be assessed carefully

The applicable salary requirement depends upon the occupation, the worker’s circumstances and the relevant salary provisions. Employers should therefore establish the correct salary requirement before making an offer or assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship. This is particularly important where businesses are recruiting specialist personnel into roles with unusual working patterns, rotational arrangements or project-specific responsibilities.

What about medium-skilled roles?

The changes to the skills threshold are particularly relevant to employers recruiting technical and operational personnel. Certain roles below graduate level may still qualify where they appear on the Temporary Shortage List or Immigration Salary List, or where transitional arrangements apply. However, these should not be treated as permanent solutions.

Businesses should therefore avoid assuming that a role which was capable of sponsorship in 2024 or 2025 will automatically remain eligible.

Before recruiting internationally, employers should check:

• Is the role currently eligible for sponsorship?
• What is the correct SOC 2020 occupation code?
• What salary and going-rate requirements apply?
• Does the role appear on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List?
• Are there any expiry dates or restrictions?
• Can the individual benefit from transitional provisions?
• Is another immigration route potentially more appropriate?

These questions should ideally be answered before an employment offer becomes contractually binding.

The practical message for Oil & Gas businesses

International recruitment remains possible, but the process requires considerably more planning than it did previously. A failure to assess immigration eligibility at the outset can result in recruitment delays, additional costs and, in some cases, the loss of an otherwise suitable international candidate.

For businesses operating in a project-driven sector, immigration should therefore form part of workforce planning from the beginning — not be dealt with once a candidate has already been identified.

The information and opinions contained in this blog are for information only.  They are not intended to constitute advice and should not be relied upon or considered as a replacement for advice.  Before acting on any information contained in this blog, please seek solicitor’s advice from Gilson Gray.