Work Visas and Sponsorship by Country (2026)

Hiring a foreign professional in one of six major markets means different visas, thresholds and lead times. This guide tells you what to prepare before you make an offer.

Work visas at a glance

The table compares the main employer-sponsored routes across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Use it to see at a glance which route fits the role, the salary level and the timeline.

Country Main employer-sponsored route Salary floor Labour market test Typical timing
United Kingdom Skilled Worker £41,700 or going rate No About 3 weeks (outside the UK)
Ireland Critical Skills Employment Permit €40,904 (listed roles) or €68,911 No About 6 weeks
Australia Skills in Demand (482) A$79,423 (Core) or A$146,576 (Specialist) Usually Weeks to 6 months
New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa Market rate Job check Varies
Canada LMIA work permit (Global Talent Stream) Prevailing wage Yes (LMIA) About 2 weeks for the LMIA
United States H-1B Prevailing wage No (LCA only) Annual lottery, start October

Last checked 5 November 2026. Fees and thresholds change often. This is general information for employers, not immigration advice. Use a regulated immigration adviser for each case.

United Kingdom

You need a sponsor licence before you can hire a Skilled Worker. The role must be at degree level and pay at least £41,700 or the going rate, with a lower floor for some cases. There is no labour market test, and you will pay a licence fee, a certificate fee and an Immigration Skills Charge, which rises for certificates assigned from December 2025. Settlement is currently five years, but the confirmed baseline will increase to ten years with faster routes for higher earners under rule changes from December 2026.

Route Who it is for Salary Employer needs
Skilled Worker Degree-level roles (RQF 6) £41,700 or going rate Sponsor licence, certificate of sponsorship
Senior or Specialist Worker Transfers within a group £52,500 or going rate Sponsor licence
Scale-up Worker Hires by approved scale-ups £39,100 or going rate Scale-up sponsor licence
Global Talent Endorsed leaders in research, arts or digital technology None No sponsorship
  • Employer costs for a Skilled Worker: certificate of sponsorship £525, Immigration Skills Charge £1,320 for the first year (medium or large sponsors) or £480 (small), and a sponsor licence of £1,682 or £611. These cannot be passed to the worker.
  • Settlement: 5 years today. On 2 November 2026 the government confirmed a 10-year baseline with faster routes for higher earners, through rule changes starting December 2026.

Ireland

If the role is on the Critical Skills list you can hire without a labour market test. The salary threshold is €40,904, or a higher amount for any eligible role not on the list. The permit leads to Stamp 4 after two years. For a General Employment Permit the salary threshold is lower, but most cases need a labour market test. Intra-company transfers have a separate higher salary requirement for senior staff.

Permit Salary from 1 March 2026 Labour market test Fee
Critical Skills Employment Permit €40,904 (listed roles) or €68,911 (other eligible roles) No €1,000
General Employment Permit €36,605 Yes, in most cases €500 to €1,000
Intra-Company Transfer €49,523 (senior staff) No Up to €1,000

Australia

The Skills in Demand visa splits into two streams. The Specialist Skills stream is for roles paying at least A$146,576, with no occupation list, but it excludes trades. The Core Skills stream has a lower salary threshold and applies to listed occupations. You must be a standard business sponsor, nominate the role, and usually test the labour market. You also pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy. Specialist Skills can be processed in weeks, while Core Skills takes longer. Permanent residence is possible through the subclass 186 after two years.

  • Specialist Skills stream: no occupation list (trades excluded), pay of at least A$146,576 from 1 July 2026.
  • Core Skills stream: listed occupations, pay of at least A$79,423 from 1 July 2026.
  • Employer duties: standard business sponsorship, nomination, labour market testing unless exempt, market salary rate, and the Skilling Australians Fund levy of A$1,200 or A$1,800 per year.
  • Permanent residence: the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) after 2 years.
  • No employer needed: the National Innovation visa for globally recognised talent.

Threshold figures differ slightly between sources, so confirm them with the Department of Home Affairs before you lodge.

New Zealand

You need employer accreditation and a job check for each Accredited Employer Work Visa role. Pay must be at least the market rate, and the median wage threshold has been removed. Candidates need at least two years of relevant experience. The visa can lead to residence through the Skilled Migrant Category or the Green List, with new Skilled Migrant pathways now in place.

  • Accreditation: NZ$775 for standard employers, plus a NZ$735 job check for each role.
  • Pay: at least the market rate. The median wage requirement was removed on 10 March 2025.
  • Residence: the Skilled Migrant Category (new pathways from 24 August 2026) or the Green List.

Canada

For most work permits you need an LMIA. The Global Talent Stream can get an LMIA decision within 10 business days. The high-wage stream sets a salary threshold above the provincial median. The LMIA fee is C$1,000 per position, and you cannot recover it from the worker. Intra-company transferees and CUSMA professionals from the US or Mexico are LMIA-exempt, with a separate employer compliance fee. Express Entry no longer needs an LMIA for a qualifying job offer and awards points for high-wage occupations.

  • Global Talent Stream: LMIA decision targeted within 10 business days, with a Labour Market Benefits Plan.
  • High-wage stream: pay above the provincial median plus 20%, with a transition plan.
  • LMIA fee: C$1,000 per position, which cannot be recovered from the worker.
  • LMIA-exempt: intra-company transferees and CUSMA professionals, with a C$230 employer compliance fee.
  • Permanent residence: from 3 November 2026 Express Entry no longer needs an LMIA for a qualifying job offer.

United States

The H-1B visa covers degree-level roles under an annual cap of 85,000. The lottery now weights selection toward higher wage levels, so pay close attention to the prevailing wage. You file a Labor Condition Application and can use premium processing, which costs US$2,965 for a faster decision. The proposed six-figure H-1B fee is blocked and not being collected, though the government is appealing. Alternatives include L-1 for intra-company transfers, O-1 for extraordinary ability, TN for Canadian and Mexican professionals, and E-3 for Australians. Green card sponsorship through PERM takes over a year.

Route Who it is for Key points
H-1B Degree-level roles Annual lottery weighted toward higher wage levels; Labor Condition Application; prevailing wage
L-1 Transfers within a group 1 year with the group in the last 3 years; no cap
O-1 Extraordinary ability Evidence-based; no cap
TN Canadian and Mexican professionals Listed professions; renewable
E-3 Australian professionals Degree-level roles; renewable
Green card (PERM) Permanent hires About 16 to 20 months

The US$100,000 H-1B fee announced in September 2025 has been blocked by two federal courts and is not being collected, but the government is appealing, so check its status before you file.

Planning a sponsored hire

1. Confirm the role qualifies before you start

Match the job duties and salary to the route. For the UK, the role must be degree level for new sponsorships. In Australia, Specialist Skills has no occupation list but excludes trades. In Ireland, the Critical Skills list avoids a labour market test. Check the table for current thresholds and lists.

2. Start sponsorship or accreditation early

Do not wait until you have a candidate. Apply for a UK sponsor licence, Canadian LMIA where needed, or New Zealand employer accreditation before you interview. Australia requires standard business sponsor status before nomination. These steps can add weeks or months to your hiring timeline.

3. Know which labour market tests apply

The UK Skilled Worker route and Ireland Critical Skills permit need no labour market test. Ireland General Employment Permit and most Australian nominations usually require one. Canada uses the LMIA process unless the candidate qualifies for an exemption such as intra-company transfer or CUSMA.

4. Budget for employer-only fees

Most of these routes charge the employer, not the worker. The UK has an Immigration Skills Charge, Canada charges C$1,000 per LMIA position, and Australia levies the Skilling Australians Fund. Ireland charges a permit fee. New Zealand has accreditation and job check fees. Confirm which fees you cannot recover from the employee.

5. Plan for processing times and the candidate's long-term path

Ask about processing early. UK decisions take about three weeks from outside the country. Canada's Global Talent Stream targets ten business days for an LMIA decision. Ireland is around six weeks. Some routes lead to permanent residence, so confirm whether that matters for retention before you choose.

How Aristo Search works with sponsored candidates

When a shortlisted candidate needs a visa, Aristo Search flags the sponsorship requirement before you invest in interviews. We work alongside your immigration adviser to keep the process moving, so you can focus on the hire. We do not give immigration advice. We help you understand which route fits the role and when to start the employer side of the process.

More hiring guides and tools

Sources

Questions employers ask

Do we always need a sponsor licence in the UK?

Yes, for Skilled Worker sponsorship you need a sponsor licence before assigning a certificate of sponsorship. The role must be at degree level and meet the salary threshold. There is no labour market test. A medium or large employer pays £1,682 for the licence. Decisions from outside the UK take about three weeks.

How fast can we hire a foreign professional in Canada?

The Global Talent Stream can get an LMIA decision within 10 business days. The high-wage stream sets a higher salary threshold, and the LMIA fee is C$1,000 per position. LMIA-exempt routes include intra-company transferees and CUSMA professionals. From November 2026 Express Entry no longer needs an LMIA for a qualifying job offer.

What is the cheapest route in Ireland?

The Critical Skills Employment Permit costs €1,000, needs no labour market test, and leads to Stamp 4 after two years. The salary threshold is €40,904 for listed roles, or higher for any eligible role outside the list. The General Employment Permit has a lower salary threshold but usually requires a labour market test.

Does Australia require a labour market test for every visa?

Most nominations for the Core Skills stream require a labour market test. The Specialist Skills stream has no occupation list but excludes trades and still requires sponsorship and nomination. You pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy. Check the table for thresholds and stream details.

What changed in New Zealand for the median wage?

The median wage requirement was removed on 10 March 2025. Employers still need accreditation and a job check, and pay must be at least the market rate. Candidates need at least two years of relevant experience. The visa can lead to residence through the Skilled Migrant Category or the Green List.

What is the H-1B cap situation in the US?

The annual H-1B cap is 85,000 and the lottery is weighted toward higher wage levels. Employers file a Labor Condition Application and must pay at least the prevailing wage. Premium processing costs US$2,965 for a 15 business day decision. The proposed six-figure H-1B fee is blocked and not being collected, though the government is appealing.

Which route gives the quickest permanent residence?

Ireland Critical Skills leads to Stamp 4 after two years. Australia can lead to permanent residence through subclass 186 after two years on the Skills in Demand visa. New Zealand has Straight to Residence under the Green List for some roles. Settlement timing varies by country and is changing in the UK from 2026.

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