Search the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. Find out whether a UK employer can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, which routes they hold, and what their rating means.
Data published by the Home Office, last updated 28 September 2026. See the official register on GOV.UK.
The Home Office publishes a list of every organisation licensed to sponsor workers under the points-based immigration system. An employer must appear on it before they can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa or any other sponsored route.
The register is updated most working days. This tool searches a copy of the current file and shows the same information you would find by opening the spreadsheet on GOV.UK.
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| A rating | The normal rating. The sponsor holds a valid licence and can assign Certificates of Sponsorship. |
| B rating | The sponsor is on a Home Office action plan and must correct specific compliance failings. They can still sponsor existing workers but face restrictions. |
| Provisional | Applies to the UK Expansion Worker route while an overseas business establishes a UK presence. |
A company missing from the register has not necessarily been refused a licence. The most common reason for a search returning nothing is a name mismatch. The register uses the name registered at Companies House, which is often not the name on the shopfront, the job advert or the website.
If the employer genuinely holds no licence, they cannot sponsor you, and they would need to apply for a sponsor licence first.