Moving from Manchester to London – Need Advice on Job Market & Visa Sponsorship

I need some outside perspective because I’m at a crossroads.

I currently work for a law firm in Manchester that runs multiple trading names — personal injury, military claims, immigration, car finance and more.

My role is basically everything: generating leads, building automations so leads stay warm, helping sales reps with conversions, training staff, monitoring performance, and keeping the whole funnel on track.

When I joined two years ago, it was at a junior level. The firm only had one struggling department and couldn’t even cover wages.

Slowly I took control, rebuilt processes, and scaled the business. Now we’ve got several departments running profitably, and the firm makes hundreds of thousands in profit.

The problem? I don’t feel respected. • Salary is sometimes deliberately paid late. • I’m asked to work Saturdays and answer calls after hours. • Even after everything, I’m told I’m “not working hard enough.”

At the same time, they’re scared of losing me.

They’ve tried to replace me before, but it didn’t work. I started on minimum wage — today I’m at around £5,000/month after tax.

Here’s the catch: I’m an immigrant, and they sponsor my visa. I feel they exploit that, because if I leave I either need another sponsor quickly or I’m out of the UK.

I’ve decided I want to leave in December and move to London.

But I’m worried:

•	Will I realistically find another job in London with similar or higher pay?
•	How tough is it to find a new visa sponsor at this level?
•	Has anyone here made a similar jump successfully?

Any advice, feedback, or even a reality check would really help.