List of UK Visa Sponsorship Companies

The UK’s immigration system restricts which employers can lawfully hire non-UK nationals under sponsored work routes. Only organisations that hold a valid sponsor licence, issued by the Home Office, can issue the Certificate of Sponsorship required for a Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker visa. The names of these organisations are published on the official Register of Licensed Sponsors, a public database that is updated regularly to reflect newly approved licences, suspensions and revocations.

This article explains what the register is, how to access and use it, and how to verify whether an employer is currently licensed. It also examines how sponsor ratings work, why they matter to jobseekers, and common mistakes people make when relying on outdated or unofficial lists. Examples from across healthcare, professional services, technology and other sectors illustrate the range of employers that hold licences, although all names should be verified against the live register before applying.

Section A: What is the UK Register of Licensed Sponsors?

The UK Register of Licensed Sponsors is the official public record of organisations approved by the Home Office to employ or take on non-UK nationals under certain work visa categories. It is the foundation of the UK’s sponsorship system, ensuring that only employers meeting strict immigration compliance standards can lawfully sponsor overseas workers. An employer’s absence from the register means it cannot assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to support a visa application. For employers, appearing on the register signals credibility to prospective international recruits.

1. Purpose and Legal Basis

The purpose of the Register is to control and monitor who can participate in visa sponsorship. It is grounded in the official ‘Workers and Temporary Workers: Guidance for Sponsors’, which outlines binding obligations for licence holders. The register is a transparency tool for the public and a compliance mechanism for the Home Office. Inclusion confirms that the organisation holds a current sponsor licence and has met the initial application criteria set out in immigration law.

2. Sponsor Licence Requirements

To be added to the register, an employer must submit a detailed application to the Home Office. This requires evidence of a genuine trading presence in the UK, business need for overseas recruitment, and robust HR systems to monitor and report on sponsored workers. The Home Office may carry out verification checks, including site visits, before deciding on the application. Approval results in the organisation being added to the register with details of its licence type and sponsor rating.

3. Understanding Sponsor Ratings

Each licence holder is assigned a rating. An A-rating confirms that the employer meets all compliance obligations and can assign new CoS to eligible candidates. A B-rating means the employer has fallen short of compliance standards and is working under a Home Office action plan. While still licensed, a B-rated sponsor’s ability to assign CoS is restricted until it regains an A-rating. The rating is a clear indicator of both compliance performance and sponsorship capacity.

4. Frequency of Updates

The register is updated regularly, even multiple times per week, to reflect live changes, including adding new licence holders, removing organisations with revoked licences and amendments following licence downgrades or reinstatements. Because these changes happen quickly, relying on outdated or third-party lists is risky. The live GOV.UK register is the only reliable and legally authoritative source.

5. Active Sponsorship vs Licence Holding

Not every organisation on the register is actively recruiting for roles that qualify for visa sponsorship. Some employers keep a licence for potential future needs, while others sponsor only in specific roles or departments. For candidates, checking both the employer’s current licence status and the eligibility of the job under the Skilled Worker or other relevant visa route is essential before applying.

Section B: How to Access the Official List

The UK Register of Licensed Sponsors is freely available on the GOV.UK website. It is published as a downloadable file and can also be searched online. Because the list is maintained by the Home Office, it is the only definitive source for confirming whether an organisation is licensed to sponsor workers. Knowing how to access and interpret the register is essential for anyone relying on it for recruitment or job applications.

1. Finding the Register on GOV.UK

The register is hosted on the official government domain, GOV.UK. A search for “Register of Licensed Sponsors workers” in the GOV.UK search bar will take you to the dedicated page. From there, you can download the most recent version as a CSV file or view it in a web-friendly format. The page also shows the date of the latest update, which should always be checked before relying on the information.

2. Downloading and Using the CSV File

The CSV version of the register contains all current sponsor licence holders along with key details such as the organisation’s name, town or city, sponsor rating, and the visa routes for which they are licensed. CSV files can be opened in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc. This allows you to filter, sort and search the data, making it easier to identify sponsors in a specific sector, region or rating category.

3. Searching for an Employer

To check whether a specific company can sponsor visas, search for its name exactly as it appears in official records. Be aware that some organisations may be listed under a trading name, group name or legal entity name that differs from the brand name familiar to the public. Using partial matches or keywords can help if the exact name is unknown, but confirmation should be based on an exact match in the register.

4. Understanding the Data Fields

Each entry in the register includes information that has legal and practical importance. The organisation name confirms the licensed entity. The location helps distinguish between similarly named companies. The sponsor rating shows whether the organisation is in full compliance (A-rating) or under an action plan (B-rating). The visa route(s) column specifies the types of visas they are authorised to sponsor, for example Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, or Minister of Religion.

5. Checking the Update Date

The GOV.UK register page clearly shows the date it was last updated. This date is crucial, as relying on older copies risks basing decisions on outdated licence information. Jobseekers and recruiters should download a fresh copy each time they search for a sponsor, rather than saving and reusing an old version.

Section C: How to Verify an Employer’s Sponsorship Status

Being listed on the UK Register of Licensed Sponsors confirms that an organisation holds a sponsor licence, but it does not automatically mean the employer is actively recruiting or that all roles they advertise are eligible for sponsorship. Verification requires more than a quick search of the register. Both jobseekers and employers must understand how to check licence status accurately and interpret what it means for the role in question.

1. Confirming the Organisation’s Presence on the Register

The first step is to locate the organisation’s exact name in the live GOV.UK register. The spelling must match exactly, as the register is case-sensitive and records the legal entity name rather than a trading name in many cases. If the company operates under multiple names or as part of a group, you may need to search using different variations to confirm its presence.

2. Checking the Sponsor Rating

The sponsor rating is a key indicator of an employer’s compliance standing. An A-rating confirms full compliance and the ability to assign Certificates of Sponsorship to new recruits. A B-rating signals that the employer is working under a Home Office action plan and cannot issue new CoS until compliance is restored. While B-rated sponsors can continue to employ existing sponsored workers, the restriction on new CoS assignments can make a role ineligible for sponsorship in practice.

3. Identifying the Approved Visa Routes

The register specifies which visa categories an employer is licensed to sponsor. For example, an employer may be licensed only for the Skilled Worker route and not for Temporary Worker routes such as Creative Worker or Charity Worker. If the job does not fit the approved category, sponsorship will not be possible even if the organisation appears on the register.

4. Verifying Active Recruitment

An organisation can hold a sponsor licence without currently offering sponsored roles. Some maintain a licence for strategic workforce planning or to support internal transfers, rather than open recruitment. The safest approach is to contact the employer directly or check its careers page for confirmation that the specific role is open to visa sponsorship.

5. Cross-Checking with Other Home Office Notices

Occasionally, the Home Office may announce public sanctions against a sponsor, such as suspension or revocation of its licence. These changes can appear on GOV.UK before they are reflected in the register update. For time-sensitive recruitment, it is worth reviewing related Home Office pages or press notices to confirm there are no enforcement actions affecting the sponsor’s status.

Section D: Examples of Companies That Sponsor Visas in the UK

The UK Register of Licensed Sponsors contains thousands of organisations across a wide range of industries. While the full list is only available via the official GOV.UK register, certain sectors consistently feature high numbers of active sponsors due to sustained demand for skilled workers. Examples can help illustrate the breadth of the register, but they must always be verified against the live list before relying on them for job applications or recruitment planning.

1. Healthcare and Social Care

The health and social care sector represents one of the largest groups of licensed sponsors. NHS Trusts, private hospitals and care home providers regularly sponsor overseas professionals in roles such as nurses, but can no longer support entry clearance applications for workers in care worker or senior care worker roles, following a change in the rules in July 2025.

Well-known licence holders in this category include many NHS Trusts across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, alongside large independent providers. The sector’s demand is driven by persistent staffing shortages, with specific provisions offering more relaxed criteria for eligible healthcare roles compared with other occupations and sectors.

2. Professional and Financial Services

Large accountancy firms, management consultancies, and financial institutions often sponsor Skilled Worker visas for specialist roles. The “Big Four” accountancy firms — PwC, Deloitte, EY and KPMG — are all licensed sponsors. Banks such as Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered also appear on the register. These employers typically sponsor experienced hires, graduates on structured programmes, and specialists in compliance, risk, audit and technology.

3. Technology and Engineering

Global technology companies and advanced engineering firms frequently appear as licensed sponsors. Examples include Microsoft, Google, IBM and Amazon, as well as aerospace and manufacturing companies such as Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems. Roles in this category often require highly specialised skills in software engineering, data science, AI development, or advanced manufacturing processes.

4. Education

Universities, independent schools and colleges sponsor teaching staff, researchers and certain administrative roles. Most UK universities hold sponsor licences, enabling them to recruit lecturers, research fellows and specialist teaching staff from overseas. Independent schools may sponsor teachers in shortage subjects such as mathematics, physics and computer science.

5. Hospitality and Other Sectors

While less dominant than healthcare or technology, the hospitality sector contains a number of licensed sponsors, particularly in large hotel groups and high-end restaurant businesses. Other industries represented on the register include creative industries, charities, and niche manufacturing. However, sponsorship in these sectors can be more role-specific and often depends on skill level and salary thresholds being met.

Section E: Common Issues and Misunderstandings

Although the UK Register of Licensed Sponsors is straightforward to access, both jobseekers and employers often make avoidable errors when relying on it. Misinterpreting the register can result in wasted applications, missed recruitment opportunities, or even non-compliance with immigration rules. Understanding these common issues helps ensure that the list is used accurately and effectively.

1. Assuming All Roles are Eligible for Sponsorship

One of the most frequent misunderstandings is believing that every job offered by a licensed sponsor is automatically eligible for visa sponsorship. In reality, sponsorship is restricted to specific roles that meet the skill level and minimum salary thresholds under the relevant visa route. A company may be licensed for Skilled Worker visas but only sponsor certain positions, often those on the Immigration Salary List or in shortage occupations.

2. Relying on Outdated or Third-Party Lists

Some candidates rely on old copies of the register or unofficial online lists, which can be inaccurate or incomplete. Because the Home Office updates the register frequently, a sponsor’s licence status can change at short notice. Using anything other than the live GOV.UK version risks relying on outdated information, which can lead to unsuccessful applications or recruitment delays.

3. Overlooking Sponsor Ratings

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The sponsor rating is not just an administrative detail. A B-rated sponsor is restricted in assigning new Certificates of Sponsorship and is effectively unable to bring in new overseas hires until it regains an A-rating. Candidates who fail to check this may waste time applying for roles that cannot currently be sponsored.

4. Confusing Licence Types

The register distinguishes between Worker and Temporary Worker licence categories. An employer licensed only under Temporary Worker routes, such as Creative Worker or Seasonal Worker, cannot sponsor Skilled Worker visas. Misunderstanding the scope of a licence can lead to incorrect assumptions about eligibility.

5. Not Confirming Active Recruitment

An employer may hold a sponsor licence for strategic reasons but not be actively recruiting internationally. In some cases, a licence is used only for internal transfers or specific short-term projects. Candidates should always confirm with the employer that the advertised role is open to visa sponsorship before investing time in the application process.

Section F: Conclusion

The UK Register of Licensed Sponsors is the only authoritative source for confirming whether an organisation can lawfully sponsor non-UK nationals for specific work visas. It is a compliance tool for the Home Office and a vital reference point for both jobseekers and employers. While it is straightforward to access, accurate use of the register requires more than simply locating an employer’s name. The licence type, sponsor rating, approved visa routes and the employer’s current recruitment activity all determine whether a role is genuinely open to sponsorship.

Employers use the register to demonstrate their licensed status to prospective recruits, but must also maintain compliance to keep their place on the list. Jobseekers benefit from using the register to verify opportunities before applying, avoiding wasted effort on roles that cannot be sponsored. By combining the register with direct employer confirmation and an understanding of visa eligibility requirements, users can make informed, legally sound decisions in the UK’s competitive labour market.

Section G: FAQs

How often is the UK Register of Licensed Sponsors updated?

The Home Office updates the register regularly, often several times a week. Each update reflects new licence grants, suspensions, downgrades, reinstatements and revocations. The update date is shown on the GOV.UK register page and should always be checked before relying on the information.

Does appearing on the register mean an employer is actively recruiting?

No. An employer can hold a sponsor licence without advertising sponsored roles. Some maintain a licence for future hiring needs, internal transfers or seasonal recruitment. Jobseekers should confirm with the employer whether the role is open to visa sponsorship before applying.

Can a company lose its sponsor licence?

Yes. The Home Office can suspend, downgrade or revoke a sponsor licence if the employer fails to meet its compliance duties. Revocation means the employer can no longer sponsor any workers and may affect the immigration status of those it currently sponsors.

What does the sponsor rating mean?

An A-rating means the employer is in full compliance and can assign new Certificates of Sponsorship. A B-rating means the employer is working under a Home Office action plan and cannot assign new CoS until it regains an A-rating.

Are all jobs at a sponsoring company eligible for a Skilled Worker visa?

Only roles that meet the visa route’s skill and salary requirements can be sponsored. Some roles may be ineligible even if the employer is licensed.

Section H: Glossary

Section I: Additional Resources and Links