Interview tips for international candidates

Applying for a job when you need visa sponsorship is the same as any other application, with a few extra steps. This guide follows the process from the advert to your first day.

1. Before you apply

• Check the advert really offers sponsorship. We quote the sentence on every job page. If it is unclear, email the contact named in the advert before you spend hours on an application.
• Check you are likely to qualify. Look at the salary and the level of the job against the salary rules. A Check eligibility label on our site means the advertised pay may be too low for a new visa.
• Get your registration and English test moving. Professional registration (NMC, GMC, HCPC, GPhC) and English tests take time, and many employers want them in progress before they interview.

2. The application

• Match the person specification. NHS and public-sector employers shortlist against essential criteria. Use their headings and give one concrete example for each.
• Be upfront about sponsorship. Application forms ask about your right to work. Answer accurately: employers who advertise sponsorship expect it.
• Translate your experience. Explain grades, systems and qualifications from your country in terms a UK recruiter will understand, for example the size of your ward or team and the type of hospital or company.

3. The interview

• Expect a video interview if you are overseas. Test your camera, sound and internet beforehand, confirm the time zone in writing, and have a phone number ready in case the call drops.
• Use the STAR method: describe the Situation, the Task, the Action you took and the Result. Prepare five or six stories that you can adapt.
• NHS interviews are values-based. Read the trust's values on its website and prepare examples that show them, such as compassion, respect and working together. Clinical roles often include scenario questions on safety and escalation.
• Tech interviews usually combine a coding or take-home exercise, a system-design or technical discussion, and a values or culture conversation. Ask how the stages work so you can prepare.

4. Questions worth asking

• When would the certificate of sponsorship be assigned, and who pays the visa costs?
• Is there relocation help, temporary accommodation or support with registration exams such as the OSCE?
• What is the expected start date, and how flexible is it while the visa is processed?

5. After the offer

1. The employer completes pre-employment checks and assigns your certificate of sponsorship.
2. You apply for your visa online with the certificate reference, your passport and evidence of English. Applicants from some countries also need a tuberculosis test certificate.
3. Finish your professional registration and any criminal record checks the employer asks for.
4. Agree your start date once the visa is granted. Do not resign from your current job or book flights before then.

Warning signs

Real employers do not charge for job offers or certificates of sponsorship, and sponsors are not allowed to pass their sponsorship costs on to you. Be wary of offers made without an interview, pressure to pay quickly, or recruiters you cannot trace to a real employer. Check employers on the register of licensed sponsors.

General information, not legal advice. Immigration rules change; always check GOV.UK before you act.