How to check if a UK employer is a licensed visa sponsor (step by step)

1. Get the legal name. Find the employer on Companies House or in the footer of its website ("X Ltd, registered in England...").
2. Open the official register. Go to the Register of Licensed Sponsors: workers on GOV.UK and download the CSV. It is updated most working days; the 21 October 2026 file has 143,184 rows.
3. Search the file for part of the legal name (Ctrl+F, or a filter in Excel or Sheets). Try it without "Ltd" or "Limited", and try any trading names.
4. Read the columns:
5. Organisation Name: the licensed entity.
6. Town/City and County: the registered location.
7. Type & Rating: Worker or Temporary Worker licence, and its A or B rating.
8. Route: e.g. Skilled Worker, or a Global Business Mobility route. There is one row per route.
9. Check the date. Entries change daily. Check again close to the time you apply.

The register has no job titles or occupations. It tells you whether an organisation holds a licence, not whether a vacancy is sponsored.

Shortcut: our free sponsor search covers every organisation on the latest register we've loaded, and links to live roles where we have them.

Facts from the Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors: workers, Open Government Licence v3.0. This is not immigration advice. Being on the register does not mean a particular job is sponsored; check with the employer. For advice, use a regulated adviser (OISC / Immigration Advice Authority).