£130,000 UK Tier 2 Visa Oil & Gas Engineering Roles

Oil and gas specialists are quietly landing life changing engineering positions in the United Kingdom with job offers that pay six figures, visa sponsorship and a clear route to permanent residency.

Imagine stepping into a career where your skills are valued globally, your relocation is fully supported by major companies and your expertise directly impacts national energy supply, offshore safety and sustainability transformation.

This is where lucrative UK roles powered by the Tier 2 work visa come in. These positions are attracting experienced engineers from Nigeria, India, South Africa, the Middle East and around the world.

High paying roles with relocation support, housing assistance, flight reimbursements, tax advisory support and a path to citizenship. The UK’s energy sector is facing skill shortages, creating huge demand for engineering talent who understand oil and gas technology, refinery design, pipeline logistics, offshore drilling, digital monitoring, asset integrity, renewable transition, carbon capture and operational risk management.

The best part is that these positions do not require extraordinary immigration points or complex government requirements. Companies apply for your visa sponsorship, pay the GAE certificate fees and provide full guidance from application to relocation.

That is why engineers in petroleum, chemical, structural, mechanical, instrumentation, surveying, project management and offshore safety are securing Tier 2 visa supported roles faster than ever before.

Why Energy Engineering Skills Are Highly Rewarded in the UK

The UK energy industry contributes billions to the economy and supports thousands of engineering roles that cannot be filled locally. Refineries, offshore rigs, hydrogen facilities, LNG plants and renewable integration projects are all demanding international engineering talent to maintain safe operations.

Major skill shortages include:

• Subsea and offshore drilling engineers

• Reservoir evaluation and well intervention specialists

• Structural and corrosion engineers

• Process and refinery design engineers

• Instrumentation control and automation engineers

• HSSE and risk management professionals

• Pipeline and crude transport specialists

• Project control and field development coordinators

The salaries in these roles easily reach six figure compensation with relocation grants, retention bonuses, offshore allowances and full visa sponsorship.

Engineering Roles That Secure Work Visa Sponsorship in UK Energy Sector

Process Design Engineering With Tier 2 Sponsorship

Engineers who understand refinery operations, heat exchangers, gas compressors and final product quality are in high demand. Digital process design, simulation tools like HYSYS and Aspen, refinery optimization and decarbonization planning add major leverage. These roles come with visa-backed contracts and flexible relocation benefits.

Subsea Engineering in Offshore Platforms

Subsea engineers design, analyze and maintain underwater pipelines, risers, subsea control systems and wellhead equipment. These positions require skilled talent familiar with flow assurance, structural integrity, pressure systems and underwater robotics. These roles almost always qualify for work visas due to shortage of specialist talent.

Petroleum Reservoir and Well Engineers

Experts in reservoir simulation, drilling programs, logging interpretation, well integrity and production optimization are filling key vacancies in Aberdeen, London and offshore operations in the North Sea. The high-level skills qualify directly for skilled worker visa sponsorship.

Instrumentation and Control Systems Specialists

Engineering professionals with strong experience in DCS, SCADA, PLC and industrial automation systems are critical in UK oil and gas plant management. Major companies actively sponsor work visas for these skills.

Project Engineering and Offshore Project Management

If you have strong engineering experience with project planning, structural design calculations, construction discipline interfacing, risk management and operational commissioning, UK employers are sponsoring skilled worker visas specifically for these roles.

Health, Safety, Environmental and Risk Management

Safety-critical positions in UK petroleum operations are eligible for Tier 2 work visa. Professionals with knowledge of HAZOP, HAZID, safety compliance, incident response and offshore safety regulation are receiving priority sponsorships from companies like Shell, TotalEnergies, Wood Group, BP and Petrofac.

How UK Employers Recruit International Energy Engineers

Direct Hiring Through Accredited Companies

Major operators and engineering service providers in the UK are certified sponsors. Meaning they can hire you directly, process your visa, pay your immigration fees and send your relocation package.

These sponsor-licensed employers include:

• Shell UK

• BP North Sea

• Petrofac

• Wood Group

• Worley

• TotalEnergies UK

• Schlumberger

• Halliburton

• TechnipFMC

• Aker Solutions

Many of them recruit applicants directly from abroad through global engineering job listings. They prioritize applicants experienced in oil and gas, EPC project execution, digital offshore operations and safety-led engineering.

Recruitment Agencies for Engineering Sponsorship

Specialist agencies help skilled engineers secure sponsored visas and job placements with Tier 2 certified companies.

Top UK agencies for engineering recruitment include:

• NES Fircroft
• Leap29
• Michael Page Engineering
• WRS Energy
• Petroplan
• Airswift

They guide engineers through CV transformation, UK job alignment, sponsorship confirmation and post-visa settlement.

How To Apply: A Simple Breakdown

Step 1: Align Your Engineering CV with UK Standards

Your CV must be keyword-rich, quantifiable and aligned with UK-style job descriptions. Highlight measurable achievements such as production volume optimization, downtime reduction, well intervention program results, offshore compliance improvements or automated process upgrades.

Step 2: Apply Directly to UK Sponsor-Licensed Employers

Check if the employer is on the UK government list of certified visa sponsors. If yes, apply directly and mention in your cover letter that you are eligible for skilled worker visa sponsorship.

Step 3: Receive Job Offer and Sponsorship Confirmation

Once hired, your employer will issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) which is used to apply for your UK visa.

Step 4: Secure Your Tier 2 Work Visa

Submit all required documents:

• Certificate of sponsorship reference

• Proof of funds or employer guarantee

• Educational qualifications

• Passport

• TB test (for certain countries)

• Police clearance

• English Language proof

Step 5: Fly to the UK and Start Your Role

After visa approval, the employer arranges relocation support, housing guidance, tax advisory and onboarding.

Relocation Benefits Offered By Tier 2 Visa Certified Engineering Employers

Companies provide benefits including:

• Sponsored work visa costs

• Fully paid relocation flight tickets

• Family sponsorship options for partner and children

• Arrival accommodation for 4 to 8 weeks

• Offshore bonus allowances and travel stipend

• Tax filing advisory and pension support

• Paid professional training and UK qualification recognition

This is why relocating through skilled engineering roles is considered more stable than student visas or self-funded migration.

Career Progression And Permanent Residency Pathway

Once in the UK, engineers progress through this Tier 2 career track:

1. Graduate or experienced engineer entry job

2. Chartered engineering evaluation through UK EngTech, IMechE, IChemE, Energy Institute

3. Higher-level contract extension and promotion

4. ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after 5 years

5. Citizenship and full living rights

Many engineers become senior project engineers, team leads, regional consultants, energy advisors or engineering managers within 3 to 6 years.

High Paying Locations Where Engineering Talent is in Demand

The following UK regions offer high paying positions for engineering professionals:

• Aberdeen (oil capital of Europe, North Sea offshore projects)

• London (hydrogen, LNG, risk management, digital energy)

• Hull (refinery and petrochemical manufacturing)

• Manchester (energy management, sustainability transition)

• Newcastle (offshore supply chain and fabrication)

• Middlesbrough (energy equipment manufacturing and EPC projects)

These locations are known for offshore engineering, subsea technology, refinery operations, hydrogen projects and net zero energy transition roles.

Skills That Boost Job Sponsorship Chances

To increase your visa landing potential, employers look for engineering professionals with the following strengths:

• Subsea systems and flow assurance modeling

• Knowledge of carbon capture and energy sustainability

• Offshore project planning, risk assessment and cost control

• Deep understanding of mechanical systems and corrosion engineering

• Competence in SCADA, PLC and control automation

• Knowledge of safety legislation and offshore compliance

• Familiarity with software tools like AutoCAD, HYSYS, Aspen, Revit, Tekla and Petrel

You do not need all these skills, but having a strong command of one or two boosts sponsorship chances massively.

Making Yourself Visible to UK Employers Looking for Engineering Talent

Build your LinkedIn engineering profile with details showcasing offshore, plant operations, design engineering, project coordination, safety compliance or renewable transition capabilities.

Use high-value industry keywords employers are searching for, such as:

• Offshore drilling management

• Pipeline structural design

• Petrochemical processing

• EPC project commissioning

• Energy compliance and risk

• Asset integrity management

• Digital monitoring and maintenance

Employers increasingly filter via LinkedIn Talent Search, so structured engineering experience attracts direct sponsor outreach.

How Engineering Professionals Are Fast-Tracking Visa Approval

Engineers who already hold professional certifications like IOSH, NEBOSH, Project Management PMP, IChemE membership or STEM Chartership have a faster visa application process since these qualifications support skilled worker classification.

Additionally, having prior experience with global contractor companies increases sponsorship probability, especially with offshore EPC service providers.

Success Journey: An Engineer’s Story

A petroleum engineer from Nigeria with 6 years experience in production optimization applied to an offshore drilling contractor in Aberdeen. He demonstrated operational excellence, highlighting that he reduced downtime by 18 percent and helped design a cost saving well intervention project.

He received a Tier 2 sponsored offer, full relocation support and now earns six figures plus offshore allowances. His company also sponsored his family to join him after six months of employment.

This story reflects how global engineers are leveraging experience instead of only qualifications.

The UK’s energy sector is undergoing transformation, moving from traditional oil and gas operations to digital, automation, hydrogen, wind and carbon reduction solutions. There is massive demand for skilled international engineers who understand both traditional and modern engineering operations.

This pathway is not just about work opportunities, but about unlocking permanent residency, global income growth, technical mastery and career credibility with internationally recognized employers.

If you have real engineering experience, this pathway is more powerful, faster and more secure than student visas, immigration agencies or unsponsored job applications.