How to access international engineering talent in a changing immigration system

The domestic skills gap in engineering has led many companies to look overseas to fill specialist positions, but recent immigration reforms aimed at reducing net migration have made this more difficult and costly than ever before.

Recent data demonstrates a substantial gap between the number of engineers and technicians recruited each year and what is required to meet national demand. Addressing this gap requires a holistic approach, including investment in training and upskilling the domestic workforce. Businesses should also leverage international talent to sustain critical projects while developing longer-term workforce solutions.

An effective and smooth-running immigration programme is key to attracting top overseas engineers. Alongside opportunities to work on innovative projects, strong career progression and competitive benefits, international candidates are drawn to employers with established and streamlined relocation and immigration processes. Businesses with an established sponsor licence are particularly attractive, because they offer reassurance and reduce barriers to a UK move.

Routes to success

Engineering companies must hold a sponsor licence to sponsor skilled migrants from overseas. The Home Office grants licences to businesses that meet the relevant eligibility criteria, including maintaining a genuine UK trading presence, implementing robust compliance systems and appointing key personnel to manage the licence.

Engineering firms typically use sponsor licences to sponsor workers under the skilled worker visa route and global business mobility senior or specialist worker visa route, enabling overseas engineers to work in the UK on either long-term assignments or shorter defined projects.

Holding a sponsor licence comes with strict compliance obligations, including:

• Monitoring and tracking immigration status to prevent illegal working
• Maintaining accurate records and contact details
• Meeting wider sponsor duties.

Failure to comply with these obligations can lead to sponsor licence suspension or revocation, potentially causing severe disruption to critical engineering projects.

Rising thresholds

Sponsoring international workers helps fill key specialist engineering roles, but some recent immigration reforms have made this more challenging and costly. Salary thresholds have increased significantly, for example: a mechanical engineer applying from overseas must now typically earn – based on a 37.5-hour working week – at least £46,800 per year to qualify for sponsorship under the skilled worker visa route. This is a sharp increase from the pre-April 2024 minimum salary requirement, which could be as low as £26,400 per year.

Visa-related costs have also increased. Sponsors must pay the £525 certificate of sponsorship fee and an immigration skills charge of up to £1,320 per year unless an exemption applies. Combined with visa application fees, which increased by approximately 6-7% on 8 April 2026, and the immigration health surcharge of up to £1,035 per year, sponsoring an employee can cost several thousand pounds.

For engineering firms, particularly small and medium companies, these costs can be prohibitive and limit access to talent for critical projects. As a result, businesses often reserve sponsorship for highly skilled or niche engineering roles where they can meet higher salary thresholds and justify the investment.

Available options

Despite the recent reforms, several visa options remain available to engineers:

• Skilled worker visa: The primary route for long-term or permanent roles, offering a pathway to settlement
• Global business mobility (senior or specialist worker) visa: Enables companies to transfer senior or specialist engineers from overseas to the UK for short-term assignments
• Global talent visa: For recognised or emerging leaders or potential leaders in their field. No sponsorship required, though endorsement from an approved body or a qualifying award is needed
• Graduate visa: Allows graduates of UK universities to work post-study. Currently granted for two years, or three years for PhD graduates, but will reduce to 18 months from January 2027. It provides a bridge to sponsorship and allows individuals time to progress towards meeting minimum salary requirements and improve their prospects of switching to a sponsored work visa route when their graduate visa expires, if required
• Shorter-term visas: Options such as youth mobility, temporary worker (government authorised exchange) and high potential individual visas offer additional flexible routes.

Visa refunds and a concierge service

Earlier this month, the government unveiled measures to support high-growth businesses, aiming to accelerate scale-ups and boost global competitiveness.

They include:

• Concierge service: Tailored support offering to help high-potential firms start, scale and remain in the UK, including assistance with regulation, funding, procurement and talent
• Visa fee reimbursement: A scheme to reduce the cost of hiring overseas workers for scale-ups in digital and tech, life sciences and clean energy. This is aimed at strengthening the UK’s ability to attract and retain exceptional global talent in high-growth priority sectors and reinforce the UK’s global competitiveness
• Fast-track sponsor licence: A simplified and expedited process for UK expansion worker sponsor licences to help international companies establish a UK presence.

While the measures do not specifically target the engineering sector, they may benefit clean energy-focused businesses. If successful, they could reasonably be extended to other sectors, including engineering, particularly given the UK’s ongoing structural talent shortage, which continues to impact growth, infrastructure delivery and productivity. This remains a long-term challenge, driven by an ageing workforce and limited capacity to attract and retain new talent.

A need for stronger policy support

Engineering is a cornerstone of the UK economy, and international recruitment offers a clear and practical way to help address the sector’s ongoing skills crisis. Aligning immigration policy with industrial strategy would help engineering firms deliver on key projects, boost productivity and support long-term economic growth.

Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.

Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.