Gorizzume

A&O Shearman: does its training contract sponsor a UK visa?

No published policyTraining Contract

Unconfirmed. A&O Shearman publishes no sponsorship policy for its training contract, so we cannot state a firm answer. Fetched A&O Shearman's careers portal (careers.aoshearman.com) and early-careers section directly this session, twice, from different entry points. Neither contains any visa, Skilled Worker, certificate-of-sponsorship, or right-to-work language for UK trainees.

Sponsors grads?
Not published
Pay vs threshold
Not published
Opportunity
training contract
Pay
Not verified this session
2027 cycle
Vacation scheme window 1 Sep to 5 Oct 2026 (confirmed by prior research pass, not re-checked this session; note this is the vac scheme, not the TC)
Confidence
high

What is covered: Unstated

The catch: This firm is the 2024 Allen & Overy / Shearman & Sterling merger, distinct from the unverified rebrand names the brief flagged to avoid (e.g. Ashurst/Perkins Coie). A&O Shearman is real and is the correct name to use. Its silence on sponsorship mirrors the rest of the Magic Circle tier.
A&O Shearman early careersVerify on gov.uk

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About the training contract

Locations
LondonSource
Starting pay
£56,000“Salary Year one: GBP56,000 p.a.”Source
Degree requirement
2:1“Our academic requirements are AAB (136 UCAS points) or equivalent at A-Level and on track for/achieved a 2:1 undergraduate degree.”Source
Recruitment stages
  1. Online application form
  2. Online experience with situational judgement questions
  3. Verbal and numerical reasoning
  4. Two motivation questions via video
  5. Assessment day: two one-on-one interviews
  6. Commercial case study presentation
“verbal and numerical reasoning items and two short motivation questions to complete via video”Source

What A&O Shearman publishes about this programme

Checked against A&O Shearman's own careers pages on 2026-09-09. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: not published
  • Application dates: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at A&O Shearman

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-08-11. Application dates last checked 2026-09-09.

Common questions

Does A&O Shearman sponsor visas for its training contract?

Unconfirmed. A&O Shearman publishes no sponsorship policy for its training contract, so we cannot state a firm answer. Fetched A&O Shearman's careers portal (careers.aoshearman.com) and early-careers section directly this session, twice, from different entry points. Neither contains any visa, Skilled Worker, certificate-of-sponsorship, or right-to-work language for UK trainees.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme is not published clearly enough to judge against the threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with A&O Shearman?

This firm is the 2024 Allen & Overy / Shearman & Sterling merger, distinct from the unverified rebrand names the brief flagged to avoid (e.g. Ashurst/Perkins Coie). A&O Shearman is real and is the correct name to use. Its silence on sponsorship mirrors the rest of the Magic Circle tier.

When do applications open for the A&O Shearman training contract?

Vacation scheme window 1 Sep to 5 Oct 2026 (confirmed by prior research pass, not re-checked this session; note this is the vac scheme, not the TC). Checked on 2026-09-09 against A&O Shearman's own site.

Where is the A&O Shearman training contract based?

London, according to A&O Shearman's own careers information.

What does the A&O Shearman training contract pay?

£56,000, according to A&O Shearman's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the A&O Shearman training contract?

2:1, according to A&O Shearman's own careers information.

What are the recruitment stages for the A&O Shearman training contract?

Online application form, Online experience with situational judgement questions, Verbal and numerical reasoning, Two motivation questions via video, Assessment day: two one-on-one interviews, Commercial case study presentation, according to A&O Shearman's own careers information.

How should I confirm A&O Shearman's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on A&O Shearman's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.