IBM: does its uk graduate scheme sponsor a UK visa?
Unconfirmed. IBM publishes no sponsorship policy for its uk graduate scheme, so we cannot state a firm answer. IBM United Kingdom Limited holds an active Skilled Worker sponsor licence. IBM's own employer profile (originally captured via IBM's self-submitted TargetJobs listing, re-cited here against IBM's own careers domain rather than the aggregator) states a £34,000 starting salary for the general graduate scheme, whose Technology track reportedly begins with a 6-week 'Welcome to IBM Sales and Global Sales School', reading as a broad/sales-oriented scheme rather than a dedicated software-engineering development track. £34,000 clears the flat £33,400 new-entrant floor by only around £600, but falls well below the software-occupation-specific (SOC 2134) new-entrant going rate of approximately £38,300 confirmed on gov.uk. Because the going rate for the occupation is the applicable minimum whenever it exceeds the flat floor, this scheme's stated pay does not meet Skilled Worker requirements for a software-engineering role at this salary.
- Sponsors grads?
- Not published
- Pay vs threshold
- Below the threshold
- Opportunity
- graduate scheme
- Pay
- £34,000 official starting salary. This is below the ~£38,300 SOC 2134 (software developers) new-entrant going rate, even though it clears the flat £33,400 new-entrant floor.
- 2027 cycle
- No published date as of 1 October 2026
- Confidence
- medium
What is covered: General 2-year graduate scheme, including the Technology track, at the stated £34,000 salary
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About the uk graduate scheme
- Locations
- Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, AfricaSource
What IBM publishes about this programme
Checked against IBM's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.
- Visa sponsorship policy: not published
- Application dates: not published
- Pay: published
- Locations: published
- Degree requirement: not published
- Recruitment stages: not published
More early careers programmes at IBM
- IBM UK Internship / 12-month Industrial Placementinternship, no published policy
Sources
- https://www.ibm.com/uk-en/careers/career-opportunities
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-skilled-occupations
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers
Verdict last checked 2026-09-24. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01.
Common questions
Does IBM sponsor visas for its uk graduate scheme?
Unconfirmed. IBM publishes no sponsorship policy for its uk graduate scheme, so we cannot state a firm answer. IBM United Kingdom Limited holds an active Skilled Worker sponsor licence. IBM's own employer profile (originally captured via IBM's self-submitted TargetJobs listing, re-cited here against IBM's own careers domain rather than the aggregator) states a £34,000 starting salary for the general graduate scheme, whose Technology track reportedly begins with a 6-week 'Welcome to IBM Sales and Global Sales School', reading as a broad/sales-oriented scheme rather than a dedicated software-engineering development track. £34,000 clears the flat £33,400 new-entrant floor by only around £600, but falls well below the software-occupation-specific (SOC 2134) new-entrant going rate of approximately £38,300 confirmed on gov.uk. Because the going rate for the occupation is the applicable minimum whenever it exceeds the flat floor, this scheme's stated pay does not meet Skilled Worker requirements for a software-engineering role at this salary.
Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?
The pay for this scheme sits below the Skilled Worker salary threshold, which is itself a reason sponsorship is not possible.
What is the catch international students miss with IBM?
IBM’s UK entry-level pages and its UK applicant FAQ, read on 24 September 2026, say nothing about visa sponsorship. The pay-threshold reasoning behind the previous verdict came from Home Office going-rate tables, not from anything IBM published.
When do applications open for the IBM uk graduate scheme?
No published date as of 1 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-01 against IBM's own site.
Where is the IBM uk graduate scheme based?
Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, according to IBM's own careers information.
How should I confirm IBM's sponsorship before applying?
Read the specific vacancy on IBM'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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Before you apply
Scan your CV against UK applicant tracking systems for free, then tailor it to the schemes that can actually sponsor you.
Other technology schemes we track
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.