Employer insights

Avg salary

£65,000

Glassdoor

3.9 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

5-7 weeks

Insider tip: Amazon uses leadership principles in ALL interviews — prepare 2-3 STAR stories for each of the 16 principles. The bar raiser interview is the hardest. Amazon is very international-friendly and has a dedicated immigration team. Expect a written exercise (bar raiser) and multiple behavioural rounds.

Avg salary

£34,000

Glassdoor

4.2 ★

Difficulty

medium

Visa process

3-5 weeks

Insider tip: Arup is one of the most internationally diverse engineering firms in the UK. They actively recruit from UK universities and welcome Graduate Route visa holders. The application is project and portfolio based — demonstrate real engineering curiosity. Chartership support is excellent.

Avg salary

£38,000

Glassdoor

4.3 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

4-6 weeks

Insider tip: AstraZeneca is one of the most international-friendly employers in the UK. Being a global pharma company, they have deep experience with visa sponsorship. STEM graduates from any country are welcomed. The application includes a strengths-based interview, not competency-based — be authentic and enthusiastic.

Avg salary

£45,000–£55,000

Glassdoor

3.9 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

4–6 weeks

Insider tip: Barclays values commercial awareness. Research their recent news and strategy before interviews. Strong visa sponsorship track record especially for Technology and Operations roles. Assessment centre includes group exercise + interview.

Avg salary

£30,000

Glassdoor

3.9 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

Unknown — verify directly with BBC

Insider tip: The BBC Journalism Trainee Scheme is extremely competitive with thousands of applicants. Portfolio of published work is essential. The BBC's sponsorship position varies by role and contract type — always verify directly with the recruiter before applying. The assessment includes written exercises and panel interviews.

Avg salary

£52,000

Glassdoor

4 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

5-8 weeks

Insider tip: Clifford Chance is one of the Magic Circle law firms and is extremely international — over 40% of their trainee intake are international students. Applications are open through their online portal. Vacation scheme experience is almost essential for training contract offers. They have a structured visa sponsorship process.

Avg salary

£38,000

Glassdoor

4.5 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

6-8 weeks

Insider tip: DeepMind is one of the most prestigious AI research labs in the world. Roles are highly competitive and typically require PhD-level research experience for research positions. They actively sponsor international talent and have deep visa expertise given their globally recruited team. Demonstrate research publications or strong open-source contributions.

Avg salary

£35,000

Glassdoor

4 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

3-5 weeks

Insider tip: Deloitte's application includes online tests (numerical, verbal, situational) followed by a virtual interview and assessment centre. For international students, make sure your right-to-work status is clear from the start. Deloitte has a dedicated international talent team and regularly recruits from top UK universities.

Avg salary

£33,000

Glassdoor

4 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

4-6 weeks

Insider tip: Dyson values creativity and engineering curiosity above all. Portfolio is essential for design roles. They are based in Malmesbury (Wiltshire) — factor in relocation. Dyson sponsors international graduates and is a licensed sponsor. The assessment centre includes a design challenge.

Avg salary

£55,000

Glassdoor

4.1 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

4-6 weeks

Insider tip: Goldman has a well-established visa process. Highlight your quantitative skills. The application has a HireVue video interview — practise structured STAR answers. Networking via LinkedIn with current analysts significantly improves your chances. They value diversity and actively recruit from international universities.

Avg salary

£65,000

Glassdoor

4.4 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

6-8 weeks

Insider tip: Google's hiring process involves 4-5 technical interviews focused on data structures, algorithms, and system design. For international candidates, Google's internal visa team is excellent and very experienced. LeetCode preparation is essential. Google recruits globally and is very comfortable with Graduate Route applicants.

Avg salary

£45,000

Glassdoor

3.8 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

4-6 weeks

Insider tip: HSBC is one of the most internationally diverse banks in the UK. The application includes online tests, video interview, and assessment centre. They sponsor both Graduate Route and Skilled Worker visas. Being multilingual is a genuine asset here given their global focus.

Avg salary

£55,000

Glassdoor

4 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

4-6 weeks

Insider tip: JPMorgan recruits early — apply in August for the following year intake. The process includes HireVue video interviews and assessment centres. They have a well-established visa process and welcome Graduate Route applicants. Networking with current analysts on LinkedIn significantly improves success rates.

Avg salary

£31,000

Glassdoor

3.9 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

3-5 weeks

Insider tip: KPMG's process includes online tests, a job simulation, and a partner interview. They are experienced with international candidates and provide ACA qualification funding. Make clear your intention to stay in the UK long-term. KPMG recruits heavily from Russell Group universities but welcomes applications from all UK institutions.

Avg salary

£55,000

Glassdoor

4.2 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

4-6 weeks

Insider tip: McKinsey uses case interviews — two rounds with two cases each. Practice with the McKinsey Problem Solving Test and peer case practice. Being international is often an advantage at McKinsey given their global client base. They have an established visa sponsorship process and regularly hire from top UK and international universities.

Avg salary

£70,000

Glassdoor

4.1 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

5-7 weeks

Insider tip: Meta interviews focus heavily on product sense and execution skills for PM roles, and coding/systems design for engineers. They are very internationally diverse and have excellent visa support. Prepare with Meta-specific product frameworks and study their products deeply before interviewing.

Avg salary

£60,000–£70,000

Glassdoor

4.4 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

6–8 weeks

Insider tip: Microsoft interviews use the STAR method heavily. Prepare growth mindset examples. They value collaboration over individual heroics. Very international-friendly — large visa team. Technical rounds include coding + system design.

Avg salary

£50,000

Glassdoor

4.2 ★

Difficulty

medium

Visa process

3-4 weeks

Insider tip: Monzo has a very international team and is very comfortable with Graduate Route visa holders. The interview process is practical — expect a take-home task and a structured interview. They value impact and user empathy over prestigious backgrounds. A great option if you're targeting fintech.

Avg salary

£32,000

Glassdoor

3.8 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

6-10 weeks

Insider tip: The NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme is one of the most internationally diverse graduate programmes in the UK. The assessment centre includes a group exercise, written exercise, and interview. NHS has extensive experience sponsoring international graduates. The visa process is longer than private sector but very reliable.

Avg salary

£33,000

Glassdoor

3.9 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

3-4 weeks

Insider tip: PwC's application includes online assessments, a virtual interview, and a digital assessment day. They are very experienced with international applicants and have a clear visa sponsorship process. Apply to your preferred service line (Audit, Tax, Consulting, Deals) as each recruits separately. Early applications are strongly advised.

Avg salary

£50,000–£65,000

Glassdoor

3.7 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

4–6 weeks

Insider tip: Revolut moves fast. Expect a take-home task + 3–4 interviews. They value impact and ownership strongly. Very international team — over 100 nationalities. Good visa support but verify sponsorship for your specific role.

Avg salary

£38,000

Glassdoor

4 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

4-6 weeks

Insider tip: Rolls-Royce actively recruits international STEM graduates. The process includes online tests and a technical assessment centre. Chartership ambition (IMechE, RAeS) is valued. They have a structured visa sponsorship process and are very experienced with international candidates from top engineering universities.

Avg salary

£55,000–£70,000

Glassdoor

4.3 ★

Difficulty

very high

Visa process

5–7 weeks

Insider tip: Spotify is extremely diverse and international. Technical interviews focus on system design and coding. Culture fit is important — show passion for music and tech. They use Greenhouse ATS. Being multilingual is a genuine plus.

Avg salary

£32,000

Glassdoor

4 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

3-5 weeks

Insider tip: Unilever's Future Leaders Programme is one of the most respected in FMCG. The assessment includes a discovery centre (online) and an in-person assessment. They value purpose-driven candidates. Unilever sponsors Graduate Route visa holders and has an established international hiring process.

Avg salary

£50,000–£65,000

Glassdoor

4.3 ★

Difficulty

high

Visa process

4–5 weeks

Insider tip: Wise is one of the most internationally diverse companies in UK tech. They genuinely value international perspectives — their product is built FOR people who move across borders. Bring your personal experience of sending money internationally into interviews. Culture is mission-driven and transparent.

Avg salary

£33,000–£38,000

Glassdoor

3.8 ★

Difficulty

medium

Visa process

3–5 weeks

Insider tip: WSP is very open to international engineering graduates. Chartership support (ICE, IStructE) is excellent. Portfolio of project work is essential. They value sustainability knowledge given their focus on net zero infrastructure.