Pinsent Masons: does its training contract sponsor a UK visa?

NoTraining Contract (Scotland)

No. Pinsent Masons does not sponsor its training contract for international students who need a visa. The Scotland training contract, run out of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, opens applications on 15 September 2026 and closes 6 January 2027 at 12pm, for a training contract starting September 2028. First year pay is £35,500, rising to £38,500 in year two and £69,000 on qualification. Candidates need a 2:1 degree, gained or predicted. The firm states directly that sponsorship is only available for trainees employed in its London office, and it is not able to offer sponsorship for this programme in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen. Aberdeen applicants are instead pointed to the 2027 vacation placement programme, feeding a training contract starting September 2029.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Below the threshold
Opportunity
training contract
Pay
£35,500 first year, £38,500 second year, £69,000 newly qualified
2027 cycle
Applications open 15 September 2026, close 6 January 2027 at 12pm, for a training contract starting September 2028
Confidence
high
Pinsent Masons are only able to sponsor trainee solicitors employed in our London office. We are not able to offer sponsorship for this programme in our Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen offices.
Pinsent Masons, from its own careers pages
The catch: The same firm sponsors trainees in London but explicitly excludes all three Scottish offices from sponsorship, so an international candidate needs to apply to London rather than Scotland to have any sponsorship route at this firm.

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Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23.

Common questions

Does Pinsent Masons sponsor visas for its training contract?

No. Pinsent Masons does not sponsor its training contract for international students who need a visa. The Scotland training contract, run out of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, opens applications on 15 September 2026 and closes 6 January 2027 at 12pm, for a training contract starting September 2028. First year pay is £35,500, rising to £38,500 in year two and £69,000 on qualification. Candidates need a 2:1 degree, gained or predicted. The firm states directly that sponsorship is only available for trainees employed in its London office, and it is not able to offer sponsorship for this programme in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen. Aberdeen applicants are instead pointed to the 2027 vacation placement programme, feeding a training contract starting September 2029.

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 Pinsent Masons?

The same firm sponsors trainees in London but explicitly excludes all three Scottish offices from sponsorship, so an international candidate needs to apply to London rather than Scotland to have any sponsorship route at this firm.

How should I confirm Pinsent Masons's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Pinsent Masons'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.

Other law schemes

Before you apply

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Other law 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.