2026/27 EMPLOYER GUIDES5 min read

Visa Early Careers Full Guide 2026/27

Here’s what you’ll uncover in this guide:

1. Visa Early Careers

What are the Visa early career opportunities?

The Visa early careers are known as Visa Next Gen careers, which offer opportunities to students, graduates and school or college leavers in the UK.

Here are the Visa early career opportunities you can apply to:

  1. Graduate Roles
  2. Internship Programme
  3. Apprenticeships

Let’s find out what each of these opportunities offers, starting with the Visa graduate roles.

Visa Graduate Roles

What are the Visa graduate roles?

The Visa graduate roles are an opportunity to do something new. You start in one fixed part of the business, with the scope to blaze your own trail as you progress.

Good to Know: Visa’s graduate roles don’t have a fixed opening date, but Visa aims to advertise them all on its website by the end of September each year, ready to start the following year.

What graduate roles are available at Visa?

Visa’s graduate roles cut across several job functions, and some of them are:

Client Services Development Program (CSDP):

A two-year rotational programme in London, with four six-month rotations covering technical, client-facing, operational and strategic roles.

Software Engineer Graduate:

Based in Reading, working across the development, test and support of Visa’s core payment systems.

Data Science Graduate:

A London-based role in the client-facing Data Science Lab team within Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA). You split your time between coding and working with VisaNet data, and managing client requirements and meetings across Europe.

Consulting & Analytics Graduate:

A 2-year London-based programme where you help Visa’s clients solve strategic payment challenges through data analysis, consulting and project delivery. You’re supported by mentoring, personalised learning paths and access to Visa University.

Visa Graduate Roles Eligibility Criteria

  • Degree background: Visa is open to people from a range of disciplines, although some roles require specific technical skills.
  • Graduation: Roles such as the Software Engineer Graduate are open to final-year students or recent graduates with an undergraduate or master’s degree.
  • Right to work: Visa tries to support sponsorship subject to local immigration law, but some UK roles, such as CSDP, require permanent UK right to work.

The second opportunity in Visa’s Next Gen careers is the Visa Internship Programme.

Visa Internship Programme

What is the Visa Internship Programme?

The Visa internship programme is a 3-month summer programme where you become a vital part of a team. Visa offers structured training, exposure to senior leaders and opportunities to network with fellow interns and graduates.

Good to Know: Visa’s global internship page says applications in Europe open between August and March, while its UK page aims to advertise intern roles by the end of September each year.

What internship roles are available at Visa?

Visa internship roles cut across several functions. Some internship roles at Visa are:

Software Engineer InternshipGovernment Affairs Internship
Consulting & Analytics InternshipSoftware Engineer Placement Year

Visa Internship Programme Eligibility Criteria

  • Student status: Visa’s internships are for students currently enrolled at an academic institution, regardless of degree type.
  • Placement Year: A 2:1 or above (achieved or expected) in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related field, graduating no earlier than 2029.
  • Right to work: Visa says it will try to support sponsorship subject to local immigration law, so check each listing’s requirements.

Let’s look at another key Visa early career opportunity, the Visa apprenticeships.

Visa Apprenticeships

What are the Visa apprenticeships?

Visa’s apprenticeships give you the chance to experience many exciting and challenging areas of the business. Since launching its programmes in 2011, over 80 school and college leavers have joined Visa.

Good to Know: Visa’s apprenticeships don’t have a fixed opening date, but Visa aims to advertise them all on its website by the end of October each year, ready to start the following year.

What apprenticeships are available at Visa?

Some Visa apprenticeships include:

Business Management (Chartered Manager) Degree Apprenticeship:

Based in London. Visa’s apprenticeship page describes a 4-year degree route, with five six-month rotations followed by an 18-month rotation, leading to a BSc (Hons).

Software Engineering Higher (Level 4) Apprenticeship:

A 22-month apprenticeship in London, starting with a 16-week bootcamp with Makers and leading to a Level 4 Software Developer qualification. Visa says its apprenticeship application process focuses much more on your behaviours and approach to problem-solving and challenging situations than on any technical skills you have.

Visa says its apprenticeship application process focuses much more on your behaviours and approach to problem-solving and challenging situations than on any technical skills you have.

Visa Apprenticeships Eligibility Criteria

  • Subject background: You don’t need to have studied technology subjects, as Visa provides all the technical training you need.
  • Qualifications: The Level 4 route asks for 7 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, including English and Maths, and a Level 3 qualification worth 104 UCAS points or above.
  • Previous study: For the Level 4 route, you must not have already completed a Level 6 (degree) or higher qualification.
  • Right to work: Visa is currently unable to sponsor apprentices who don’t have the right to work in the UK.

And that’s all you need to know about the early career opportunities you can apply for at Visa. Let’s look at the application process next.

2. Visa Early Careers Application Process

What is the application process for Visa early careers?

The application process varies depending on the opportunity you’re applying for. However, the Visa application process may typically involve the following stages:

  1. Visa Online Application
  2. Visa Gamified Assessment
  3. Visa Phone Interview
  4. Visa Technical Challenge
  5. Visa Assessment Centre

Good to Know:

If the role you apply to requires completing the Visa technical challenge, this stage usually comes after completing the phone interview.

Discover all stages of the Visa recruitment process here!

Want to pass each stage of the Visa early careers application process?

Practice the relevant assessments for each stage with us today!

Practice Game-based Assessments

Practice Game-based Assessments

Practice Coding Assessments

Practice Coding Assessments

Practice Video Interviews

Practice Video Interviews

Prepare for your Assessment Centre

Prepare for your Assessment Centre

Go Premium with GF and get all our practice assessments to ace your Visa early careers assessments, first time.

Check out answers to the top questions about Visa’s early career opportunities in the FAQs section below!

3. Visa Early Careers FAQs

1When do applications open for Visa early careers roles?

Visa aims to advertise its graduate and intern roles by the end of September each year, and its apprenticeships by the end of October.

2Do I need a technology degree to apply to Visa’s graduate roles or internships?

No. Visa says it values diversity of thought and is open to people from a range of disciplines, although some roles require specific technical skills.

3How long is the Visa internship?

The Visa summer internship lasts 3 months. The Software Engineer Placement Year in Belfast is a longer, year-long placement.

4How long are Visa apprenticeships?

It depends on the route. Visa’s apprenticeship page describes a 4-year degree route, while the Software Engineering Higher (Level 4) Apprenticeship lasts 22 months.

5Can I choose my rotations on a Visa apprenticeship?

You’re encouraged to explore your options, but Visa says it can’t guarantee a rotation in any specific part of the business, as rotations must also involve work of real value.

6Can Visa sponsor me for an apprenticeship?

No. Visa says it is currently unable to sponsor anyone joining an apprenticeship who doesn’t have the right to work in the UK.

Start preparing for the Visa recruitment process with GF today, the only aptitude practice test experts providing practice test solutions to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.

Practice with peace of mind; no subscription required, and a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests.

Click the links below to uncover more about the Visa recruitment process:

  1. Full Visa Recruitment Guide
  2. Visa Gamified Assessment
  3. Visa Phone Interview
  4. Visa Technical Challenge
  5. Visa Assessment Centre

This article was last updated on 6 October 2026. All information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, based on publicly available sources. For the most up-to-date details, please verify directly with Visa.

Start preparing for Visa assessments

and other leading employers