Check a UK employer's sponsor licence
Search 126,000+ organisations on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. A few checks free, no account needed.
Register last updated 15 August 2026.
Quick answer
To check whether a UK company can sponsor a work visa, search its name against the official Home Office register of licensed sponsors. If the employer is listed, it holds a licence and can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa for an eligible role. Search 126,000+ organisations free below, or verify on gov.uk. A licence means they can sponsor, not that a specific job comes with it.
Checked against the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. A few checks free, no sign-up.
What a sponsor licence actually tells you
A sponsor licence is permission granted by the Home Office for an organisation to sponsor workers from outside the UK. If an employer appears on the register, they have cleared that bar and can issue a certificate of sponsorship for an eligible role.
What it does not tell you matters just as much, and most checkers stay quiet about it. The register does not say whether a particular vacancy is open to sponsorship, whether the employer has any certificates left to issue this year, or whether they are willing to sponsor at the salary the role pays. A licence is a capability, not a promise. Treat it as a filter that rules employers out, not one that rules them in.
A rating and B rating
Most sponsors hold an A rating, the normal status for a licence in good standing. A B rating means the Home Office has found compliance failings and the sponsor is working through an action plan. They can still sponsor while on it, but the licence carries more risk of suspension or revocation, which is worth knowing before you move your life around a job offer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a company has a sponsor licence?
Type the employer name into the checker above. It searches the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, which lists every organisation licensed to sponsor workers on the Worker and Temporary Worker routes. If the company appears, it holds a licence and can sponsor eligible roles.
Does a sponsor licence mean the job comes with sponsorship?
No, and this is the most common misunderstanding. A licence means the employer is permitted to sponsor. It does not mean any particular vacancy is offered with sponsorship, and it does not show whether the employer has certificates of sponsorship left to issue. Always confirm sponsorship for the specific role before you apply.
Why can I not find a company that I know sponsors workers?
The register lists registered legal names rather than trading names, so a restaurant chain may appear under its holding company. Licences can also sit with a parent company or a specific subsidiary. Try the name as it appears on Companies House, usually ending in Limited or Ltd, and try fewer words.
What does an A rating or B rating mean?
An A rating is the normal status for a licensed sponsor in good standing. A B rating means the Home Office has found compliance problems and the sponsor is on an action plan to fix them; they can still sponsor, but the licence is at greater risk of being revoked while they are on it.
How often is the register updated?
The Home Office publishes the register regularly, and licences are added, suspended and revoked over time. This checker is refreshed daily from the published register, and every result links to gov.uk so you can confirm the current position yourself before you rely on it.
Is this sponsor licence checker free?
Yes. Checking a few employers is free and needs no account. If you want unlimited checks, or to search the whole register at once and filter it by visa route, county or rating to build a target list, that is part of the paid Gorizzume product.
Browse the register another way
Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.