UK register of licensed sponsors: workers

What it is

The register of licensed sponsors lists the organisations the Home Office has licensed to sponsor people on the Worker and Temporary Worker routes, including the Skilled Worker visa. It is published on GOV.UK as a single CSV file and is refreshed often: the version read for this page was dated 6 October 2026. Counting that file, about 122,000 organisations were licensed for the Skilled Worker route.

Who it is for

Anyone outside the UK applying for UK tech jobs. A UK employer can only give you a certificate of sponsorship if it holds a sponsor licence, so this list is the fastest way to filter out roles that can never lead to a visa.

How to use it

1. Download the CSV from the GOV.UK page and open it in Google Sheets or Excel. It has five columns: organisation name, town or city, county, type and rating, and route.
2. Search for the legal name, not the brand. Companies often trade under one name and are registered under another, such as "Example Technologies Ltd". If you cannot find it, check the company on Companies House and search again.
3. Check the route column says "Skilled Worker". Some organisations are only licensed for other routes, such as Global Business Mobility.
4. Check the rating. Almost every entry is "A rating". A "B rating" usually means the Home Office has asked the sponsor to improve its compliance, so ask the employer directly.
5. Build a target list. Filter by town and route, then look up the tech companies you recognise and check their careers pages.

What the register does not tell you

Being on the list means a company can sponsor. It does not mean it will sponsor your role, or that it is hiring. Many large employers hold a licence but only sponsor for senior or specific roles. Ask early in the process: "Can this role be sponsored on the Skilled Worker visa?"

Your job must also meet the visa's own rules on occupation code, salary and English. Read the Skilled Worker visa guide.

Common mistakes and scams

• Trusting a "visa sponsorship guaranteed" advert without checking the register.
• Paying a recruiter or "consultant" for a certificate of sponsorship. Never pay for a job or a visa.
• Searching for a shortened brand name and concluding the company is not a sponsor.

Where to go next on Sefism

• Plan the move step by step with the Tech jobs abroad roadmap and keep its cheat sheet open while you apply.
• Read How to find companies that sponsor visas.
• Read How to get a software job abroad from Pakistan.