Arriving in a new country on a work visa is one of the most common ways to immigrate. The United Kingdom has one of the most highly regulated immigration systems in the world. It uses a system of work visa sponsorship to ensure that foreign national workers are both contributing to the British economy and being employed legally by reputable employers. This requires that all organisations and companies who seek to employ foreign national employees are registered with the British Government and published on a regularly updated list known as the register of licensed sponsors.
This article will outline important information about the register of licensed sponsors and how you can navigate this list in your search for a job in the United Kingdom. It is important to understand how the register of licensed sponsors and work visa sponsorship system works if you want to move to the United Kingdom. Work visa sponsorship in the United Kingdom is complex and expensive, so you will want to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations surrounding immigration on a work visa. This article will identify various work visa routes that utilise the register of licensed sponsors and how to use this list for specific visa types. It will also answer common questions of visa applicants.
What is the register of licensed sponsors?
The register of licensed sponsors is a list of every organisation and company in the United Kingdom that holds a licence to sponsor foreign national workers. The Home Office has created this list to identify, regulate, and advertise employers that hold sponsorship licences. The register of licensed sponsors is regularly updated and currently comprises more than 32,000 organisations and companies within the United Kingdom. These employers are licensed to sponsor foreign national workers under the following immigration routes:
- Skilled Worker Visa
- Health and Care Worker Visa
- Global Business Mobility Visa
- Minister of Religion Visa
- International Sportsperson Visa
- Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa
- Temporary Work – Creative Worker Visa
- Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange Visa
- Temporary Work – International Agreement Visa
- Temporary Work – Religious Worker Visa
- Temporary Work – Seasonal Worker Visa
Not all employers are licensed to sponsor foreign national workers under all immigration routes, so you will need to research potential employers included in the register of licensed sponsors to determine the best employer and route for your situation.
Using the list of registered sponsors to find a UK employer
You can use the register of licensed sponsors to help find a potential employer in the United Kingdom by researching the kind of work you are eligible to do.
You can search the list for keywords such as the location you want to live in, the name of the company, the type of sponsorship licence, and the route of the sponsorship licence. For example, if you know that you want to work for a specific organisation or company, you can look up relevant information about that specific organisation or company such as the location, type of sponsorship licence, and route of sponsorship licence.
You may want to see all organisations and companies that sponsor for a Temporary Work – Creative Worker visa and research all potential employers under this route. Alternatively, you can look up all employers in a given location, such as Belfast, Edinburgh, or Birmingham. There are many ways to use the list to find a UK employer to sponsor a work visa, and you should take your time looking through the register of licensed sponsors in your job search.
What does the ‘type’ section on the register of licensed sponsors mean?
The ‘type’ section on the register of licensed sponsors indicates whether individual organisations can sponsor permanent or temporary work visas. For individuals seeking to apply for a Skilled Worker visa on a path to settlement (permanent residence), you will need to search for sponsors with ‘Worker’ type indicated. For individuals seeking to apply for a Temporary Work visa that is not on a path to settlement, you will need to search for sponsors with ‘Temporary Worker’ type indicated. You cannot apply for a Skilled Worker visa with a ‘Temporary Worker’ type organisation or company, and you cannot apply for a Temporary Work visa with a ‘Worker’ type organisation or company.
What does the ‘route’ section on the register of licensed sponsors mean?
The ‘route’ section on the register of licensed sponsors indicates the specific immigration route for which an organisation or company is eligible to sponsor foreign national workers. This is more specific than the ‘type’ section on the register of licensed sponsors. For individuals seeking to apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you will need to search for sponsors with the ‘Skilled Worker’ route indicated. For individuals seeking to apply for a Temporary Work visa under the Creative Worker route, you will need to search for sponsors with the ‘Creative Worker’ route indicated. For individuals seeking to apply for an Intra-company visa, you will need to search for sponsors with ‘Intra-company Routes’ indicated. You will need to ensure that your employer is eligible to sponsor for the specific route of visa under which you seek to be sponsored.
What does the ‘rating’ section on the register of licensed sponsors mean?
The ‘rating’ section on the register of licensed sponsors indicates the quality of an individual employer’s compliance with sponsorship licence requirements, as required by the Home Office. All organisations and companies are issued an A-rating when they are initially granted a sponsorship licence by the Home Office. If the organisation or company upholds all of its duties as an employer sponsoring foreign national employees, it will maintain its A-rating status. If the organisation or company fails to uphold all of its duties as an employer sponsoring foreign national employees, it will be demoted to a B-rating. This will be indicated on the register of licensed sponsors. Whilst an organisation or company has a B-rating, it cannot sponsor new foreign national employees. An organisation or company will be able to regain its A-rating once all issues that resulted in the initial downgrading have been rectified. As such, you cannot apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship and subsequent work visa sponsorship with a B-rated employer.
What do I do if the company I want to work for is not on the register of licensed sponsors?
If the company you want to work for is not on the register of licensed sponsors, you cannot work for them at this time. If there is a company that you want to work for and they are willing to consider visa sponsorship under an eligible route, they can begin the recruitment process for a role and apply for a sponsor licence. Once this process has been completed, the company will be added to the register of licensed sponsors and you can begin the visa sponsorship process. They can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship once they have been approved for the register of licensed sponsors. As a foreign national employee applying for a work visa, you cannot be sponsored by a company that does not have a sponsorship licence.
The Register of Licensed Sponsors can be viewed here.
Types of UK work sponsorship visas
Skilled Worker Visa
The Skilled Worker visa route is the primary work-based visa available for foreign national workers seeking to work and live in the United Kingdom. It was previously known as the ‘Tier 2’ visa route prior to 1 December 2020. This visa route can lead to settlement (permanent residence) after working and living in the United Kingdom for at least five years.
What do you need to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa?
To apply for a Skilled Worker visa, you must have been offered a role with an organisation or company that has been approved by the Home Office to serve as a visa sponsor for immigration purposes. Your job type and role must have a skill level of RQ3 or higher and be included on the Government’s list of eligible occupations. This is a broad list with many types of jobs, but not all occupations are included. Your sponsor must also pay you a minimum salary depending on the type of work you will do for them and issue a Certificate of Sponsorship that includes information about your new role. It will cost your employer £199 per person to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship, except for applicants on the International Sportsperson route. This is only the cost of the Certificate of Sponsorship itself and does not include the sponsor licence costs, visa application fees, or Immigration Health Surcharge fees. You also must have enough money to support yourself without relying on the benefits system whilst you are in the United Kingdom – this will usually be at least £1,270 in savings, unless you are exempt.
Temporary Work Visa
The Temporary Work visa route comprises several different visa types for individuals who seek to work and live in the United Kingdom on a temporary basis. This is not a route to settlement (permanent residence) in the United Kingdom. This route includes the following visa types:
- Temporary Work (Charity Worker Visa) – This visa is for individuals who want to undertake unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity in the United Kingdom on a short-term basis
- Temporary Work (Creative Worker Visa) – This visa is for individuals who want to work in the UK creative industries as an actor, dancer, musician, or film crew member on a short-term basis
- Temporary Work (Government Authorised Exchange Visa) – This visa is for individuals who want to undertake work experience, training, participate in an Overseas Government Language Programme, carry out research, or do a fellowship in the United Kingdom on a short-term basis
- Temporary Work (International Agreement Visa) – This visa is for individuals who have been contracted to work in a role that is governed by international law, such as working for a foreign government or private servant in a diplomat’s household in the United Kingdom on a short-term basis
- Temporary Work (Religious Worker Visa) – This visa is for individuals who want to undertake religious work in a religious order or non-pastoral role in the United Kingdom on a short-term basis
- Temporary Work (Seasonal Worker Visa) – This visa is for individuals who work in industries including edible horticulture, pork butchery, poultry work, or drive heavy goods vehicles for food transport in the United Kingdom on a short-term basis
What do you need to apply for a Temporary Work Visa?
To apply for a Temporary Work visa, you should first determine which of the following Temporary Work visa routes are the most appropriate for your specific situation:
- Temporary Work – Charity Worker Visa
- Temporary Work – Creative Worker Visa
- Temporary Worker – Government Authorised Exchange Visa
- Temporary Work – International Agreement Visa
- Temporary Work – Religious Worker Visa
- Temporary Work – Seasonal Worker Visa
All of the routes under the Temporary Work visa scheme require sponsorship by an organisation or company that is in good-standing on the register of licensed sponsors list. To qualify for a Temporary Work visa, you must have been offered a role with an organisation or company that has been approved by the Home Office to serve as a visa sponsor for immigration purposes. Your sponsor must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship that includes information about your new role. It will cost your employer £21 per person to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship. This is only the cost of the Certificate of Sponsorship itself and does not include the sponsor licence costs, visa application fees, or Immigration Health Surcharge fees. You also must have enough money to support yourself without relying on the benefits system whilst you are exempt.
Global Business Mobility Visa
The Global Business Mobility visa is a multi-category sponsored route. It is made up of five categories:
- Senior or Specialist Worker route
- Graduate Trainee route
- UK Expansion Worker route
- Service Supplier route
- Secondment Worker route
Each of the categories is aimed at a different type of worker and has different eligibility requirements which must be met for an application to be made.
UK list of registered sponsors FAQs
How do you get a Tier 2 visa sponsor?
The Tier 2 visa route was closed for new applicants in December 2020 and replaced by the Skilled Worker visa route. You can get a Skilled Worker visa sponsor by applying for a job with a licensed sponsoring organisation or company who agrees to sponsor foreign national workers. You cannot work in the United Kingdom under the Skilled Worker visa route without the correct sponsorship by an eligible employer.
How hard is it to get visa sponsorship?
The amount of difficulty or ease you will encounter whilst trying to get visa sponsorship will largely depend on the type of role and industry. Individuals in high-demand roles and industries will likely find it much easier to get visa sponsorship than individuals in low-demand roles and industries. Additionally, there are some jobs that may not allow for visa sponsorship, depending on whether or not the government considers them in demand.
What companies are willing to sponsor visas?
You should consult the register of licensed sponsors and search using targeted keywords to see what kind of organisations and companies are licensed to sponsor foreign national workers.
Am I eligible for visa sponsorship?
To be eligible for visa sponsorship, your job type and role must have a skill level of RQ3 or above and be included on the list of eligible occupations. You must also be paid the minimum salary or greater for your individual occupation and be sponsored by a licensed employer.
Legal disclaimer
The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the law, and should not be treated as such. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission. Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert legal advice should be sought.
