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National Nuclear Laboratory Graduate Development Programme, Two Years on a Permanent 2027

Pays £38,877 a year in Cheshire, Preston, Lancashire and West Cumbria.

NoGraduate Development Programme, two years on a permanent contract

No. National Nuclear Laboratory does not sponsor its graduate development programme, two years on a permanent for international students who need a visa. The 2027 graduate adverts say applicants must have the right to work in the UK, have lived in the UK for at least five years and be able to achieve SC level security clearance. Most international students and graduates who need a visa will not meet the five year residence rule.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Clears the threshold
Opportunity
graduate scheme
Pay
From £37,744, plus a company bonus scheme and professional institute membership support
2027 cycle
Open: 2027 graduate vacancies opened on 21 September 2026 and the graduates page says all roles close on 1 December 2026, although some individual adverts show earlier closing dates such as 26 October 2026
Confidence
high

National Nuclear Laboratory Graduate Development Programme, two years on a permanent: at a glance

UKNNL's two-year graduate scheme is a permanent, full-time role. It opens with a tailored induction alongside the graduate cohort, followed by a programme of activities covering the nuclear sector and nuclear professionalism, professional knowledge, personal development, collaboration and customer understanding, while graduates work on projects with support from the early careers team, a line manager and a mentor. It ends with a focussed training centre to support the move off the scheme. Graduates are based at sites in the North West of England with hybrid working. Source

Duration
Two years“When you join our Graduate Development Programme, you’ll spend two years working on challenging and exciting projects”Source
Start date
Early September 2027“You’ll start in early September 2027 on a salary starting from £38,877.”Source
Who can apply
Right to work in the UK, at least 5 years living in the UK and able to achieve SC level security clearanceSource
Locations
Cheshire, Preston, Lancashire, West CumbriaSource
Starting pay
Salary starting from £38,877“You’ll start in early September 2027 on a salary starting from £38,877.”Source
Degree requirement
2:1 or higher in a subject set by the role, for example Chemical Engineering for Process Design Engineering“To join the UKNNL graduate programme you will have graduated, or be on course to graduate, with a 2:1 or higher in Chemical Engineering.”Source

How National Nuclear Laboratory recruits

2027 intake (start early September 2027). 3 stages, from National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where National Nuclear Laboratory names them.

  1. Apply for job

    Application form

    Online application per graduate vacancy; vacancies opened 21 September 2026, this advert closes 26 October 2026.

    “Closing date: 26th October 2026”
    Source

  2. Online assessments

    Online tests

    Online assessments as part of selection. Provider not named.

    “As part of the selection process for the graduate programme you should expect to complete online assessments.”
    Source

  3. In-person assessment centre

    Assessment centre

    In-person assessment centre testing technical and behavioural competencies, held February 2027 for this role.

    “Successful candidates will be invited to attend an in-person assessment centre which will assess technical and behavioural competencies. Assessment Centres for this role will be held in February 2027.”
    Source

Every programme and stage at National Nuclear Laboratory

“You will have the right to work in the UK, have lived in the UK for at least 5 years and be able to achieve SC level security clearance.”
National Nuclear Laboratory, from its own careers pages
The catch: UKNNL runs two domains, nnl.co.uk and uknnl.com, and the careers pages exist on both under slightly different paths, so links go stale easily.
National Nuclear Laboratory early careersVerify on gov.uk

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What National Nuclear Laboratory publishes about this programme

Checked against National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers pages on 2026-10-24. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at National Nuclear Laboratory

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-10-24. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does National Nuclear Laboratory sponsor visas for its graduate development programme, two years on a permanent?

No. National Nuclear Laboratory does not sponsor its graduate development programme, two years on a permanent for international students who need a visa. The 2027 graduate adverts say applicants must have the right to work in the UK, have lived in the UK for at least five years and be able to achieve SC level security clearance. The same wording appears on the Process Design Engineering and Information Security adverts. Most international students and graduates who need a visa will not meet the five year residence rule.

What is the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent?

UKNNL's two-year graduate scheme is a permanent, full-time role. It opens with a tailored induction alongside the graduate cohort, followed by a programme of activities covering the nuclear sector and nuclear professionalism, professional knowledge, personal development, collaboration and customer understanding, while graduates work on projects with support from the early careers team, a line manager and a mentor. It ends with a focussed training centre to support the move off the scheme. Graduates are based at sites in the North West of England with hybrid working.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme clears the Skilled Worker salary threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with National Nuclear Laboratory?

UKNNL runs two domains, nnl.co.uk and uknnl.com, and the careers pages exist on both under slightly different paths, so links go stale easily.

When do applications open for the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent?

Open: 2027 graduate vacancies opened on 21 September 2026 and the graduates page says all roles close on 1 December 2026, although some individual adverts show earlier closing dates such as 26 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-24 against National Nuclear Laboratory's own site.

How long is the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent?

Two years, according to National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers information.

When does the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent start?

Early September 2027, according to National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers information.

Who can apply for the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent?

Right to work in the UK, at least 5 years living in the UK and able to achieve SC level security clearance, according to National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers information.

Where is the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent based?

Cheshire, Preston, Lancashire, West Cumbria, according to National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers information.

What does the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent pay?

Salary starting from £38,877, according to National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the National Nuclear Laboratory graduate development programme, two years on a permanent?

2:1 or higher in a subject set by the role, for example Chemical Engineering for Process Design Engineering, according to National Nuclear Laboratory's own careers information.

How should I confirm National Nuclear Laboratory's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on National Nuclear Laboratory'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. How we check this data.