UK Visa Sponsorship Companies List

For overseas nationals looking to work in the United Kingdom, securing employment with a company that holds a Home Office sponsor licence is often the first and most important step. Without sponsorship, many roles will not meet the requirements for a work visa, particularly under the Skilled Worker route, which is the main pathway for long-term employment in the UK.

The UK immigration system places strict conditions on who can be hired from overseas. Only employers that have successfully applied for and maintained a sponsor licence are permitted to assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to migrant workers. These employers form part of a regulated system designed to ensure that migration is controlled and fair, while still enabling UK businesses to address labour shortages in key industries.

The government maintains a public Register of Licensed Sponsors, which lists organisations authorised to sponsor overseas workers and shows the routes they are licensed for and their licence rating. This register is updated frequently and should always be checked in its most recent version.

What this article is about: This guide explains what visa sponsorship means in the UK, how the Register of Licensed Sponsors works, and how to use it when searching for employment. It also provides insight into industries and companies that typically sponsor visas, along with practical considerations and common pitfalls that applicants should be aware of. By the end, you should understand how to find employers who can lawfully offer visa sponsorship, and how to approach the process strategically.

Section A: Understanding UK Visa Sponsorship

Visa sponsorship is the legal mechanism that allows UK employers to recruit and employ overseas nationals who are not otherwise entitled to work in the UK. It is the backbone of the current immigration framework for work routes, ensuring that migrant workers are hired only into roles that meet the government’s eligibility requirements.

1. What visa sponsorship means

Visa sponsorship is not simply about a company offering someone a job. It is a regulated process under the UK Immigration Rules. An employer must hold a valid sponsor licence issued by the Home Office, and only then can they assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to a prospective employee. The CoS is a digital record that confirms the details of the job, the employer, and the worker, and it forms the basis of the visa application.

Through sponsorship, the employer takes on legal duties for compliance with the Immigration Rules and sponsor guidance, including reporting, record-keeping and ensuring the role and salary remain compliant.

2. Who needs a sponsoring employer

Most long-term employment visas require sponsorship. The Skilled Worker route and certain Global Business Mobility routes depend on a licensed sponsor. By contrast, people with status that confers work permission (for example, British citizens, those with indefinite leave to remain, or those on a Graduate visa) do not need sponsorship. Note: as of 22 July 2025, new Skilled Worker applications generally require roles at RQF Level 6 (degree level) or above, with transitional protections for certain existing Skilled Workers below RQF 6.

3. Legal duties of sponsoring companies

The sponsor licence is not a one-off approval. Employers must meet ongoing duties to retain their status, including:

• Conducting compliant right to work checks (separate Home Office guidance applies).
• Reporting specified changes (for example, if the worker leaves, changes job, or does not attend work) via the Sponsorship Management System within required timescales.
• Keeping prescribed HR records (Appendix D) and making them available for audits.
• Ensuring sponsored workers are paid at or above the correct threshold and perform the role stated on their CoS.

Failure to comply can lead to downgrading from A-rating to B-rating, suspension or revocation, with significant consequences for the business and sponsored workers.

Section A Summary

Visa sponsorship is central to the UK’s work visa system. It allows qualified overseas workers to take up employment in the UK while placing legal responsibilities on sponsoring employers. From 22 July 2025, the Skilled Worker route tightened: most new roles must be at RQF 6, with transitional protections for some existing workers. Understanding these fundamentals is the first step to identifying companies that can genuinely offer sponsorship.

Section B: The Register of Licensed Sponsors

The Register of Licensed Sponsors is the definitive list of UK employers approved by the Home Office to hire migrant workers under sponsored routes. It indicates the routes for which each organisation is licensed and shows the licence rating.

1. What the register is

The register is an official GOV.UK publication listing Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors, including the categories they are licensed to sponsor and their A/B rating. It does not list vacancies.

2. How to access the register

The register is hosted on GOV.UK and is updated frequently; applicants should download the latest version each time they search, rather than rely on saved copies or third-party lists.

3. Using the register effectively

Use spreadsheet filters (by name, sector, town/city) to focus on relevant employers and confirm they are licensed for the Skilled Worker route. Combine this with active job-hunting, because the register confirms licence status but not whether suitable vacancies are open.

Section B Summary

The register is vital for identifying genuine sponsors. Always use the latest GOV.UK version and verify that the employer is licensed for the route you need before applying.

Section C: Finding Companies That Sponsor Visas

While the register provides the official list, applicants should understand which sectors actively recruit with sponsorship and how salary and skill requirements affect eligibility in 2025.

1. Major UK industries hiring sponsored workers

Sectors with sustained demand (subject to role-by-role eligibility) include:

• Health and social care – NHS Trusts and private providers sponsor doctors, nurses and other health professionals (note: care worker sponsorship has been significantly restricted since 2024; the Health & Care visa has distinct pay rules).
• Information technology – Software engineering, data, cyber and consultancy roles remain common sponsorship areas.
• Engineering and construction, including energy and infrastructure.
• Finance and professional services – banks, accountancy and law.
• Education – universities and some schools for eligible subjects/roles.

Eligibility now also interacts with the Immigration Salary List (ISL), which identifies roles eligible for reduced salary thresholds (usually 80% of the route’s usual minimum) where listed.

2. Large employers with sponsor licences

Among thousands of sponsors, frequent users include NHS Trusts, universities, large multinationals in technology/consulting/finance, and specialist employers in energy, pharma and aviation—but eligibility still depends on the specific role meeting the current skill and salary rules.

3. Practical job search strategies

• Cross-check vacancies on major job boards or employer career sites against the register to confirm licence status.
• Recruiters: consider agencies with international placement experience into sponsor employers.
• Focus on eligibility: for new Skilled Worker applications from 22 July 2025, roles typically must be at RQF 6 and meet the current salary thresholds (see Section D).

Section C Summary

Target sectors with sustained demand, verify that employers are licensed, and ensure the role itself meets the updated 2025 skill and salary rules (including any ISL interactions).

Section D: Practical Considerations for Applicants

Even where an employer holds a sponsor licence, eligibility is assessed per role under Appendix Skilled Worker and related guidance. Applicants should check skill level, salary, and occupation code requirements carefully.

1. Verifying sponsorship eligibility

From 22 July 2025, most new Skilled Worker applications must meet:

• Skill level: generally RQF 6 (degree level) or above (with transitional protections for some existing Skilled Workers).
• Salary: the higher of (a) the general threshold or discounted threshold (where applicable) and (b) the going rate for the specific occupation code, pro-rated for hours. Current headline thresholds include:
  • £41,700 (general Skilled Worker threshold)
  • £33,400 (certain discounted scenarios, e.g., new entrant/PhD/ISL where permitted)
  • £31,300 (transitional threshold for qualifying extension scenarios)
  • £25,000 for Health & Care Skilled Worker sponsorship (route-specific floor)
• Hourly floors: e.g., £17.13 for most Table 1 jobs; £12.82 for Health & Care Table 2 jobs.
• ISL roles: if the role is on the Immigration Salary List, a reduced minimum (typically 80% of the usual route minimum) may apply, subject to the occupation’s going rate.

Applicants should confirm these elements against the vacancy and, where needed, seek the employer’s confirmation that sponsorship is available for that role.

2. Risks and common issues

• Fraudulent offers: rely on the GOV.UK register to confirm a sponsor’s status and beware of requests for payment for job offers.
• Licence changes: sponsors can be downgraded, suspended or revoked; check the latest register and be alert to rating changes (A vs B).
• Role ineligibility: after the 22 July 2025 reforms, some occupations no longer qualify for new Skilled Worker sponsorship; ensure the occupation code remains eligible and meets the updated skill and salary rules.

3. Alternatives if sponsorship is not available

• Graduate route (post-study work). The route remains in place as at the date of writing, though policy proposals have been under review in 2025.
• Global Talent (for leaders or potential leaders).
• Youth Mobility Scheme.
• Family routes, where applicable.

Applicants must always check the latest rules on GOV.UK before applying.

Section D Summary

Eligibility depends on the specific job meeting the current skill level and salary rules (including any ISL interaction), not just on the employer holding a licence. The 22 July 2025 changes increased thresholds and narrowed eligibility; applicants should verify up-to-date requirements and be alert to fraud and licence-rating issues.

FAQs

How often is the register of licensed sponsors updated?
Frequently. Always download the current version from GOV.UK to check licence status and rating.

Can small companies in the UK sponsor work visas?
Yes—SMEs can obtain and maintain licences if they meet eligibility and compliance duties (reporting, records, monitoring).

Do all jobs with sponsor companies qualify for Skilled Worker visas?
No. As of 22 July 2025, most new Skilled Worker roles must be at RQF 6 and meet the latest salary thresholds and going rates.

Where can I download the latest list of UK visa sponsorship companies?
From the official GOV.UK Register of Licensed Sponsors (Workers) page.

Conclusion

Securing employment in the UK begins with identifying companies authorised to sponsor visas via the Register of Licensed Sponsors, but applicants must then confirm that the specific role meets the current skill and salary rules. The July 2025 reforms (including a general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700, discounted and transitional thresholds where applicable, hourly floors, and the shift to RQF 6 for most new roles) have materially tightened eligibility. Combining the register with targeted job search and rigorous eligibility checks is the right approach; where sponsorship is unavailable, other routes may offer an interim path.

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