The register of licensed sponsors is the public list, published on GOV.UK, of organisations that hold a Home Office licence to sponsor workers on the Worker and Temporary Worker routes. It shows the routes each organisation can sponsor and its rating. A worker can use it to check that a job offer comes from an approved employer.
Key points
- A Skilled Worker job offer must come from an employer approved by the Home Office. GOV.UK points applicants to the list of approved employers.
- The register lists each sponsor, the category of workers it can sponsor and its A or B rating.
- A sponsor is added once its licence is granted and removed if it surrenders, is suspended or is revoked.
- Skilled Worker applicants usually need a sponsor listed as A-rated. The exception is a worker continuing with the same sponsor as in their last permission.
- The register is updated on GOV.UK most working days. Check it again before you travel.
How the register works
The register of licensed sponsors is published by UK Visas and Immigration on GOV.UK as “Register of licensed sponsors: workers”. It lists organisations licensed to sponsor workers on the Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes. It includes the category of workers each organisation is licensed to sponsor and its sponsorship rating.[1]Home Office, Register of licensed sponsors: workers The page offers the register as a CSV file. Its update log shows entries on most working days, the latest on 11 November 2026.[1]Home Office, Register of licensed sponsors: workers
A business is added to the register when its sponsor licence application is granted.[5]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 1: apply for a licence (accessible version) A person who has a job offer for a Skilled Worker visa must have it from an approved UK employer. The Skilled Worker page on GOV.UK points applicants to the list of approved employers.[2]Home Office, Skilled Worker visa: Your job
What the register shows
Each entry covers an organisation, the category of workers it can sponsor and its rating. The rating matters for Skilled Worker applications. The sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the register, unless the applicant was last granted permission as a Skilled Worker and is applying to continue working for the same sponsor.[3]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker
A rating covers a type of licence, not each route separately. A sponsor licensed on two Worker routes whose licence is downgraded shows as “Worker (B rated)”.[5]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 1: apply for a licence (accessible version) The guidance describes the register as intended for organisations that are actively using their licence.[4]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible version)
When an entry is added, removed or restored
| Event | Effect on the register |
|---|---|
| Licence granted | The organisation is added |
| Licence suspended | The entry is removed for the period of the suspension |
| Suspension ends without revocation | The entry is reinstated |
| Licence revoked | The entry is removed |
| Licence surrendered | The entry is removed once the Home Office accepts the request |
These are the rules in the sponsor guidance.[4]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible version)[5]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 1: apply for a licence (accessible version) The Home Office also advises workers to check the status of their sponsor’s licence on the register before they travel. A worker who has already been granted entry clearance on a certificate assigned before a suspension can still enter and start work, provided the licence has not been revoked by the time they travel.[4]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible version) A revoked licence makes any assigned certificate of sponsorship invalid.[4]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible version)
Example
Ngozi has a job offer for a Skilled Worker visa from a company in Leeds. Before applying, she searches the register on GOV.UK. She finds the company, sees the category of workers it can sponsor and sees that its rating is A. She then asks the company for her certificate of sponsorship reference number.
If the company were not on the register, or were shown as B-rated, she would have a problem. A B-rated sponsor cannot assign certificates to new workers, and a Skilled Worker application needs an A-rated sponsor unless the applicant is continuing with the same sponsor.[3]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker[4]Home Office, Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible version)
What people get wrong
Being on the register on the day of an offer does not mean the sponsor will still be on it when the worker applies or travels. A suspension removes the entry, and a revocation makes assigned certificates invalid.
Check the register again before the visa application and before travel. Also remember that an entry on the register is not an assurance of a visa. GOV.UK says sponsoring someone does not guarantee that they will get a visa to work for the employer.[6]Home Office, UK visa sponsorship for employers
The bottom line
The register of licensed sponsors is the Home Office’s public list of employers that can sponsor workers, with their routes and ratings. It is the first place to check a job offer. Entries can be removed during a suspension or on revocation, so a worker should check the register at the offer stage, before applying and before travelling.
Common questions
Check the Register of licensed sponsors: workers on GOV.UK. It lists organisations licensed on the Worker and Temporary Worker routes, the categories they can sponsor and their rating. For a Skilled Worker, the sponsor must be listed as A-rated, unless you are continuing with the same sponsor as in your last permission.
A means the sponsor can assign certificates of sponsorship. B means it has been downgraded and cannot sponsor new workers until it regains an A-rating. Skilled Worker applicants usually need an A-rated sponsor.
The Home Office removes an entry when it accepts a surrender, during a suspension, and when a licence is revoked. If the suspension ends without revocation, it restores the entry.
No. GOV.UK says sponsoring someone does not guarantee that they will get a visa to work in the UK. The Home Office still decides the application.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- Home Office. Register of licensed sponsors: workers. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Skilled Worker visa: Your job. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible version). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 1: apply for a licence (accessible version). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. UK visa sponsorship for employers. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩