The Big 4 on sponsorship, side by side
All four hold a Skilled Worker licence, and each sponsors some graduate programmes and not others. Read their words, conditions and programmes side by side.
4 firms checked, latest 7 October 2026
0Clear 4Ask 0Stop
Licences checked on the register of 7 October 2026. The signal shows the strictest lamp. How the signals are read
Read the programme list before the firm name
Each firm sponsors some graduate programmes and not others. The rows below quote each firm's own page; nothing is scored and there is no winner.
| Deloitte | EY | KPMG | PwC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal |
Signal: Ask |
Signal: Ask |
Signal: Ask |
Signal: Ask |
| Licence on the register | Deloitte LLP, London. Skilled Worker, A rating. | Ernst & Young, London. Skilled Worker, A rating. | KPMG LLP, London. Skilled Worker, A rating. | PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, London. Skilled Worker, A rating. |
| Their own words | "we can apply for visa sponsorship on your behalf if you meet the Skilled Worker (new entrant) visa criteria" | "we may be able to switch you to an EY sponsored visa from within the UK" | "KPMG is only able to provide sponsorship (subject to all eligibility criteria being met) for the following graduate programmes" | "not all of our roles satisfy the Home Office's eligibility criteria and therefore we can only sponsor candidates" |
| Programmes the policy names | "For some of our graduate opportunities" | "which vacancies are able to support applications from candidates who require visa sponsorship" "by looking at the individual vacancy pages" |
|
|
| Not sponsored, in their words |
"We’re not able to provide sponsorship for these" | "we're unable to provide visa sponsorship if you require a work visa for our apprenticeship programmes" "we're unable to sponsor work visas for internships and fixed-term placements" | "KPMG is currently unable to provide sponsorship to candidates for any other graduate programme" | "we’re unable to provide sponsorship for our Entry Level programme roles" "We can’t provide sponsorship for internships, Women in Business, Black Talent in Business and fixed-term placements" |
| Conditions | Some graduate roles only; you must currently hold a UK Student visa valid within 3 months of start. "We cannot accept applications from candidates who have previously spent time on a Skilled Worker or Graduate visa." | Must hold New Entrant status for a role-specific period; some roles exclude past Graduate visa holders. | "we require candidates who need Skilled Worker sponsorship to have accepted their offer at least three months prior to joining" | Student visa holders must finish a UK degree before starting, or start within three months before completion. |
| Graduate pay | Not published on the pages read. Pay lamp: Ask. | Not published on the pages read. Pay lamp: Ask. | Not published on the pages read. Pay lamp: Ask. | Not published on the pages read. Pay lamp: Ask. |
| Checked | 7 October 2026. Row in the tracker for Deloitte | 7 October 2026. Row in the tracker for EY | 7 October 2026. Row in the tracker for KPMG | 7 October 2026. Row in the tracker for PwC |
Logos belong to their owners and identify employers listed on a public register. Listing does not mean an employer will sponsor any particular role. The signal shows the strictest lamp.
Applying wider than these four? Check accounting sponsors beyond the Big 4 (opens visavi.uk), then read each firm's own words before you apply.
Match your programme to the list, then ask
Find the exact programme and office you want in its firm's column. Where a firm lists programmes, one missing from its list is one its own words rule out. Where it lists none, the advert decides: read it before you apply.
Then check the conditions row against your visa. Some firms set rules on your Student visa or on time already spent on a Graduate visa. For the assessment rounds themselves, read getting through Big 4 recruitment (opens getajobintheuk.com) on getajobintheuk.com.
Three checks per firm
- Your programme and office appear on its list.
- Your visa meets the conditions row.
- The advert says the same as the policy page.
Before you ask
Which of the four sponsors the most programmes?
This page does not rank them. Each column lists the programmes the firm names in its own words; count only the ones you would apply for.
Why does pay read Ask for all four?
None of the four publishes a graduate salary on the pages read. Check the offer against the threshold when it arrives.
I am already on a Graduate visa. Can I apply?
Read the conditions row first. One firm says it cannot accept candidates who have spent time on a Graduate visa, and another sets conditions role by role. Ask the recruiter about your case in writing.
Ask with the recruiter script, read the rest of the field on the consulting shortlist, or open every scheme in the graduate scheme tracker.
Sources
- Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 4.4 option A; figure substituted by Statement of Changes HC 997 (APP SW2) (opens gov.uk)
"You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher."
Checked 7 October 2026 - Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 4.4 option E; figure substituted by Statement of Changes HC 997 (APP SW4) (opens gov.uk)
"You can be paid 70% of your job’s standard going rate if your salary will be at least £33,400 per year and one of the following applies:"
Checked 7 October 2026 - Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 5.3 (opens gov.uk)
"SW 5.3. The sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors, unless the applicant was last granted permission as a Skilled Worker and is applying to continue working for the same sponsor as in their last permission."
Checked 7 October 2026 - Deloitte, Graduate programmes, UK (opens deloitte.com)
"For some of our graduate opportunities, we can apply for visa sponsorship on your behalf if you meet the Skilled Worker (new entrant) visa criteria, [...]"
Checked 7 October 2026 - EY, Graduate programmes, UK (opens ey.com)
"If you hold a valid early student or work visa we may be able to switch you to an EY sponsored visa from within the [...]"
Checked 7 October 2026 - KPMG, Graduate programmes, UK (opens kpmgcareers.co.uk)
"If you require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa category, KPMG is only able to provide sponsorship (subject to all eligibility criteria being met) for [...]"
Checked 7 October 2026 - PwC, Graduate programmes, UK (opens pwc.co.uk)
"Please note that not all of our roles satisfy the Home Office's eligibility criteria and therefore we can only sponsor candidates for the following: Graduate [...]"
Checked 7 October 2026
Updated Checked against gov.uk on
What changed
- 7 October 2026: First published.
This is a playbook, not immigration advice. Before you act, check the rule on gov.uk or ask a regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor.