Which consulting and Big 4 firms sponsor graduate visas in the UK (2027 intake)

Of the big consulting and Big 4 graduate programmes we track, OC&C and PwC Strategy& say plainly that they sponsor graduate visas, while Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, Accenture and Forvis Mazars sponsor only some roles, locations or candidates, and BCG says it will help with work permits when applicable. PA Consulting, Grant Thornton, BDO, Capgemini Invent and Newton say they do not, or set rules that exclude most visa holders. McKinsey, Bain, Oliver Wyman and L.E.K. hold sponsor licences but publish no graduate position, which is not the same as a no. The table below sets out each firm's published position next to its entry on the Home Office register, as of 7 October 2026.

Why this question matters now

Consulting and Big 4 recruitment for 2027 graduate starts runs through autumn 2026, and several firms fill places on a rolling basis. People are also asking AI assistants: in the 30 days to 6 October 2026, assistants fetched our pages for BCG, Oliver Wyman, McKinsey, Bain and L.E.K. on users' behalf, and searches like "does EY sponsor visa" and "does PwC sponsor visa" started showing up in our Google Search Console data in the four weeks to 6 October, from close to zero before.

Our general guides explain the method: how to find visa-sponsoring graduate schemes and why no fixed list exists. This post applies that method to one sector, firm by firm.

How to read the tables

• What the firm publishes is our summary of the firm's own careers pages, with the date we last checked. It comes from GoRizzume's graduate scheme dataset, which records the employer's wording and source for every programme.
• "No published position" means we found no statement either way. It is not a refusal.
• On the register is from our copy of the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, synced on 7 October 2026, searched by the firm's legal name. "Skilled Worker" is the route a UK graduate hire would use. Some firms also hold Global Business Mobility routes, which cover staff transferred from overseas offices, not graduates hired in the UK.

Strategy and management consulting firms

The silent firms are the interesting ones. McKinsey, Bain, Oliver Wyman and L.E.K. all hold A-rated Skilled Worker licences, so sponsorship is possible, but none of them states a graduate policy on its careers pages. Ask the recruiter a direct question early, and treat a vague answer as information.

Big 4 and large accountancy firms

The Big 4 rules that catch people out

Deloitte's prior-visa bar. Deloitte's work permits page (checked 7 October 2026) says that for "some" graduate opportunities it can sponsor you under the Skilled Worker new-entrant route if you hold a UK Student visa valid within 3 months of your start date, and that it cannot accept applications from candidates who have previously spent time on a Skilled Worker or Graduate visa. Apply while you are still on your Student visa, and check the job advert for your route.

PwC's named list. PwC lists the graduate tracks it can sponsor on its immigration page: Audit and Assurance, Deals, Tax, Strategy and Legal, in London and Watford. Advisory and Consulting is not on the list. PwC dates the page to October 2025, so confirm it for 2027.

KPMG is mostly London. KPMG's international students page (checked 7 October 2026) lists the programmes it can sponsor: Audit, Tax, and Consulting and Technology in London, plus all Consulting Actuarial programmes. Candidates who need sponsorship must accept their offer at least three months before joining, which KPMG gives as 1 June 2027 for the autumn 2027 intake.

EY's quota. EY's student FAQ (checked 7 October 2026) says it has a set number of Certificate of Sponsorship applications each year, and that reaching that limit, or salary thresholds, may prevent it sponsoring you. It points applicants to each vacancy to see whether it can support a visa.

Graduate visa timing for the 2027 intake

Most 2027 consulting and Big 4 graduate programmes start in autumn 2027, after many Student visas have ended. According to gov.uk (checked 7 October 2026), the Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, or 3 years for a PhD. It costs £937 plus the health surcharge, usually £1,035 per year.

The date you apply decides the length. If you finish a master's this autumn, applying before 31 December keeps the longer window, which matters for firms that sponsor you as a Skilled Worker later. Deloitte and BDO are the exceptions to watch, because having held a Graduate visa counts against you there. Our Graduate visa to Skilled Worker timeline covers the switch.

What sponsoring you costs the firm

The employer pays the Immigration Skills Charge when it assigns your Certificate of Sponsorship. On gov.uk (checked 7 October 2026), a medium or large sponsor pays £1,320 for the first 12 months and £660 for each extra six months, so a five-year certificate costs it about £6,600 before any other fees. That cost, and the salary rules, explain why Grant Thornton and BDO cite thresholds rather than policy.

Frequently asked questions

Does McKinsey sponsor graduate visas in the UK? McKinsey & Company Inc. United Kingdom holds an A-rated Skilled Worker sponsor licence, but its careers pages publish no position on sponsoring graduates, as of our last check on 11 August 2026. Sponsorship is possible; ask the recruiter directly.

Does EY sponsor visas for graduates? For some roles. EY's student FAQ says it may be able to switch Student visa holders to an EY-sponsored visa, but it has a fixed number of Certificates of Sponsorship each year and salary thresholds apply, so sponsorship is not guaranteed. Check each vacancy, which EY says shows whether it can support a visa.

Does PwC sponsor international graduates? PwC sponsors five named graduate tracks (Audit and Assurance, Deals, Tax, Strategy and Legal) in London and Watford only. Its Advisory and Consulting graduate programme is not on the list, and PwC dates the page to October 2025, so confirm it for the 2027 intake.

Can I apply to Deloitte if I already have a Graduate visa? No. Deloitte says it cannot accept applications from candidates who have previously spent time on a Skilled Worker or Graduate visa, and its sponsored graduate roles are for current UK Student visa holders. Apply to Deloitte while you are still on your Student visa.

Does being on the sponsor register mean a firm will sponsor me? No. A licence means the firm can sponsor, not that every programme or office does. PwC, KPMG and Forvis Mazars all hold licences but restrict sponsorship by track or location, and Grant Thornton and BDO hold licences but say their graduate programmes do not meet the salary rules.