Read the advert's sponsorship wording before you apply
"Sponsorship not available" is a no for that role. Paste the advert and each phrase lights Clear, Ask or Stop, with what to do next.
Phrases taken from current UK graduate adverts on employers' own pages
Nothing you paste is uploaded or stored.
Three phrases you will meet this week
Ask
"You must have the right to work in the UK."
A Graduate visa gives you that right now. Ask whether they would sponsor you when it ends.
Stop
"We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role."
A Stop for this role. Ask whether another team sponsors, then move on.
Clear
"Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is available for this role."
Clear on wording. Still check the licence and the pay before you apply.
Every phrase the decoder knows (48)
| Signal | Phrase | What it means | Next stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | "a visa promised with the job" | No employer can promise a visa: the Home Office decides. Treat the promise as a scam sign. | F4 Spot a scam |
| Stop | "an easy job and a quick visa" | An offer that skips interviews and promises speed is a scam pattern. Check the employer first. | F4 Spot a scam |
| Stop | "applications needing sponsorship will not be considered" | Your application stops at the form. Do not spend a cover letter here. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "British citizens only" | The role is closed by nationality, not by sponsorship. Move it to your Plan B list. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "must not require sponsorship now or in the future" | They want someone who never needs a sponsor. A Graduate visa holder will. Move on. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "not a licensed sponsor" | No licence means no sponsorship. Confirm on the register, then spend your time elsewhere. | S3 Scheme policies |
| Stop | "only candidates with indefinite leave to remain" | They want settled status. A Graduate visa is not that. Spend your time on sponsors. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "pay a deposit or fee to apply" | Real employers do not charge you to apply or to start. Stop before you send anything. | F4 Spot a scam |
| Stop | "pay for your sponsorship" | Being asked to pay for sponsorship or a certificate is a scam sign. Stop and check. | F4 Spot a scam |
| Stop | "pay into a personal bank account" | Visa and job costs never go to a personal account or by money transfer. Treat it as a scam. | F4 Spot a scam |
| Stop | "permanent right to work required" | A time limited visa does not count here. Treat this role as closed to you. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "right to work in the UK unsponsored" | They want a right to work that lasts with no sponsor. Treat it as no sponsorship. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "sponsorship not available" | A plain no for this advert. Check the tracker before you write the employer off. | S3 Scheme policies |
| Stop | "the Graduate visa does not meet our criteria" | This scheme outlasts a Graduate visa and will not sponsor. Move it to your Plan B list. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "the salary is below the sponsorship threshold" | At this pay the role cannot be sponsored. Check the salary rule before you apply. | A3 Salary to the line |
| Stop | "unable to sponsor" | They say no sponsorship. Unless they name a sponsored role, cross it off and move on. | A4 Plan B |
| Stop | "we can speed up your visa" | Only the Home Office decides, and no agent can buy you a faster decision. Treat it as a scam. | F4 Spot a scam |
| Stop | "we do not offer visa sponsorship" | A plain no. Keep the employer only if a different role of theirs says otherwise. | A4 Plan B |
| Ask | "a licensed sponsor" | A licence is the start, not a yes. Check whether this role is one they sponsor. | S3 Scheme policies |
| Ask | "a set number of sponsorship certificates" | Their sponsored places can run out. Apply early and ask how many remain. | A1 Timing |
| Ask | "an earlier deadline if you need a visa" | Sponsored applicants close sooner. Put their visa deadline in your plan now. | A1 Timing |
| Ask | "Baseline Personnel Security Standard" | A basic check of identity, record and right to work. Ask whether the role needs more. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "candidates with their own right to work" | They prefer people who need no sponsor. Read on for a sponsored route before you give up. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "Civil Service nationality rules" | Public sector posts follow nationality rules. Check the list for this post before you apply. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "consent from your scholarship agency" | If a government award funded you recently, get its written release before the visa. | A1 Timing |
| Ask | "eligible to work in the UK" | True on a Graduate visa today. Ask whether they sponsor once it ends. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "if you meet the eligibility criteria" | The yes holds only if the role passes the rules. Check the salary station. | A3 Salary to the line |
| Ask | "may be able to sponsor" | A maybe that depends on the role. Ask which conditions apply to this one. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "must have the right to work in the UK" | A Graduate visa gives you this now. Ask whether they sponsor when it ends. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "no sponsorship for this role" | This role is closed, not the employer. Ask which of their roles they do sponsor. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "not always able to offer visa sponsorship" | Some of their roles are sponsored. Ask whether this one is before you apply. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "offer subject to right to work" | A standard check that says nothing about sponsorship. Ask the recruiter directly. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "right to work for the full duration of the scheme" | Your visa must outlast the scheme. Compare its end date with the scheme end before you apply. | A1 Timing |
| Ask | "right to work required" | Your Graduate visa covers today. Ask what happens when it ends. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "security clearance required" | Clearance can carry UK residence conditions. Read the gov.uk vetting guidance, then ask the recruiter. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "sponsorship considered" | Neither yes nor no. Ask the recruiter what decides it and when. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Ask | "sponsorship for some roles only" | They sponsor named programmes only. Find the list and check your role is on it. | S3 Scheme policies |
| Ask | "this role may be eligible for sponsorship" | It turns on the job code and pay. Check both against the salary rule. | A3 Salary to the line |
| Ask | "will you need sponsorship now or in the future" | Answer for the whole job, not just today. Read how to answer truthfully first. | A2 The form question |
| Clear | "new entrant" | They sponsor at the lower new entrant rate. Check your timing and pay qualify. | A3 Salary to the line |
| Clear | "Skilled Worker visa sponsorship offered" | They sponsor the route you need. Confirm the role meets the salary rule and their deadline. | A3 Salary to the line |
| Clear | "sponsorship is available for this role" | The strongest wording an advert carries. Check the pay against the salary rule, then apply. | A3 Salary to the line |
| Clear | "switching from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker visa" | They sponsor straight from study. Check their deadline against your Student visa end date. | A1 Timing |
| Clear | "the firm will provide sponsorship" | A direct yes. Note which programmes it covers; vacation schemes often differ. | S3 Scheme policies |
| Clear | "visa sponsorship available" | A yes in the advert. Check the employer on the register and the pay against the rule. | S3 Scheme policies |
| Clear | "we can sponsor" | A yes from the employer. Ask which roles it covers and when they start the visa. | O1 Ask about sponsorship |
| Clear | "we welcome applicants who require sponsorship" | They accept sponsored applicants. Check this role still meets the salary rule before you rely on it. | A3 Salary to the line |
| Clear | "we will never ask you for money" | A genuine sponsor pays its own sponsorship costs. Hold every contact from them to that line. | F4 Spot a scam |
Phrase list reviewed 7 October 2026.
Wording is one lamp of three
The decoder reads wording only. It does not know the employer's licence or what it pays. A Clear advert from an employer that is not on the register is still a Stop.
So check the licence on the shortlist worksheet and the scheme's own policy in the graduate scheme tracker. If a role needs security clearance, read gov.uk's clearance levels (opens gov.uk) before you apply.
To check what a Skilled Worker job must offer, read gov.uk's Skilled Worker visa guide (opens gov.uk); to check a licence yourself, open the register of licensed sponsors (opens gov.uk).
Checkpoint
Flip each switch when it is done. They stay set on this device only.
Before you ask
What does "must have the right to work in the UK" mean for me?
It means on your start date. A Graduate visa gives you that right until it ends, so ask whether the employer would sponsor you after that.
Is my advert stored anywhere?
No. The decoder runs in your browser. Nothing you paste is uploaded, saved or sent.
The advert says nothing about sponsorship. Now what?
Read that as Ask. Send the recruiter one clear question with the role named, before your first interview.
Updated
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.