UK sponsor licence FAQs

A sponsor licence is Home Office permission for an employer to hire overseas workers on visas such as the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas.

Licensed employers are listed on the official register of licensed sponsors. They must also keep certain records and report some changes to the Home Office, such as a sponsored worker leaving.

The Home Office updates the register on most working days. Each update can add new sponsors and remove others.

We check GOV.UK every day. Each sponsor page shows when the employer first appeared on the register and, if it has gone, when it was removed.

Most sponsors have an A rating, which means they meet the Home Office's rules. A B rating means the Home Office has given the sponsor an action plan to fix problems. Until it does, it can't sponsor new workers.

Licences also cover different visa routes. A Worker licence covers long-term visas such as Skilled Worker. A Temporary Worker licence covers short-term visas such as seasonal, charity, creative and religious work. Some employers hold both.

Search for the company by name. Its page shows whether it is on the register now, which visas it can sponsor, its town, when it was first listed and, if it has gone, when it was removed.

To check a list of employers at once, use the bulk CSV checker. For important decisions, confirm on GOV.UK.

It can no longer sponsor new workers. GOV.UK does not say why a sponsor left, so we can't tell whether the licence was revoked, given up, replaced after a change of owner or ended some other way.

If the Home Office revokes a licence, workers sponsored by that employer usually have their visa cut short and get 60 days to find a new sponsor or another way to stay in the UK legally.

The dashboard shows how many organisations were removed in each daily update. Removed sponsors keep their page, with the date they were last on the register, so searching by name shows when a company was removed.

The compliance checker lists sponsors with Companies House changes they may need to report to the Home Office, such as a director leaving or a new owner. GOV.UK does not say why a sponsor was removed, so a removal is not proof of revocation.

Yes. You can apply to any employer on the register yourself. You don't need an agent.

A licence means the employer can sponsor workers. It doesn't mean they are hiring, or that a particular job meets the visa's salary and job-type rules. Check the job advert and ask the employer about sponsorship before you apply.

No. A licence lets an employer sponsor workers, but each sponsored job must also meet the visa rules on pay and type of work, and the employer must choose to sponsor it. Many licensed employers only sponsor some of their roles.

On our job search, a gold star means the advert itself says it offers visa sponsorship. "Licensed sponsor" means the employer is on the register but the advert doesn't say either way, so ask before you apply.

Since 22 July 2025, most Skilled Worker jobs must pay at least £41,700 a year, or the usual rate for that job if it's higher.

Some people can be paid less. New entrants, for example people under 26 or recent graduates, can be paid from £33,400, and some health and education jobs follow national pay scales. GOV.UK has the full rules for each job.

No. Since 22 July 2025, employers can't sponsor new care workers or senior care workers from outside the UK, even if they hold a licence.

If you're already in the UK as a sponsored care worker, you may still be able to change employer or extend your visa for now. Check the current rules on GOV.UK before you move jobs.

Only for a job with the agency itself. An agency's licence covers its own staff, so it can't sponsor you to work for one of its clients. When an agency posts a job, ask which company it's with, then check that company is on the register.

In the UK it's against the rules for an agency to charge you a fee for finding you work, and a sponsor must never charge you for a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Retail, health and social care, technology, and hospitality have the most licensed sponsors, followed by professional services and construction.

Care providers hold a large share of all licences, so they also make up a large share of removals from the register.

Licence data comes from the Home Office register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK, published under the Open Government Licence. We don't edit it. We make it searchable and record the date of each change.

Company status and ownership changes come from Companies House. The site is run by Borderless Immigration, an OISC-regulated UK immigration provider. Nothing here is legal advice.