IMI: does its future leaders programme, three years over three 12 month sponsor a UK visa?

Only some tracksFuture Leaders Programme, three years over three 12 month placements across the UK, US and Germany

Only in part. IMI sponsors its future leaders programme, three years over three 12 month for some tracks or offices, not all. IMI is a Birmingham headquartered FTSE 100 engineering group in flow control and fluid power, spanning process automation, industrial automation, climate control, life science and transport. Its graduate route is the Future Leaders Programme: three years, three 12 month placements across three locations in the global business, a cohort of about 10, open in the US, UK and Germany. It asks for a degree in engineering or a related technical discipline. The immigration position is the unusual part. IMI requires right to work in the country applied to because the first rotation starts there, but it then does something almost no industrial employer does and leaves a door open: if the applicant studied in that country, IMI says it may in certain circumstances consider converting to a working visa, while stating in the same breath that this is not guaranteed. That is a conditional maybe rather than the flat refusal common in this sector. Internships and apprenticeships exist at individual sites but are not centrally listed and have to be chased by emailing the company.

Sponsors grads?: Some tracks
Pay vs threshold: Not published
Opportunity: graduate scheme
2027 cycle: No published date as of 24 September 2026
Confidence: high

“if you have studied in the country you have applied to, we may in certain circumstances consider converting this to a working visa. Please note this is not guaranteed.”

IMI, from its own careers pages

The catch: IMI does not publish its internships or apprenticeships anywhere. The early careers page says many sites offer them and gives a generic info@ address as the only route, so those places are filled through a mailbox rather than a vacancy list.

IMI early careers Verify on gov.uk See the licence record

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Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-24.

Common questions

Does IMI sponsor visas for its future leaders programme, three years over three 12 month?

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 IMI?

IMI does not publish its internships or apprenticeships anywhere. The early careers page says many sites offer them and gives a generic info@ address as the only route, so those places are filled through a mailbox rather than a vacancy list.

How should I confirm IMI's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on IMI'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

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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.