What is the UK visa sponsorship list?

The UK visa sponsorship list is the register of companies licensed by UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) to sponsor overseas workers for a UK work visa. It's published by the Home Office as the Register of Licensed Sponsors and updated regularly. VisaSponsorUK tracks this register daily and lets you search it directly.

How many companies are on the UK sponsorship list?

The register currently lists a fluctuating number of active UK visa sponsors — companies are added and removed daily as licences are granted, suspended, or revoked. Our homepage shows the current live count, sourced from the most recent GOV.UK register update.

Is being on the sponsorship list the same as offering a job with visa sponsorship?

No. Being on the register only means a company is legally permitted to sponsor workers — it doesn't mean every vacancy at that company comes with sponsorship, or that the company is currently sponsoring anyone. Always confirm sponsorship directly with the employer for the specific role.

How is the sponsorship list different from a jobs board?

A jobs board lists vacancies; the sponsorship list is a compliance register of employers UKVI has approved to sponsor visas. It doesn't contain job listings — it tells you whether a given company is legally able to sponsor a visa at all, which you can then use alongside job listings from that employer.

UK Visa Sponsorship List Explained

What "sponsorship" actually means, where the list comes from, and how to check whether a specific company is a genuine, currently-licensed UK visa sponsor.

A UK employer cannot simply offer to "sponsor" a work visa — they must first hold a sponsor licence granted by UKVI. Every company that holds one appears on the official Register of Licensed Sponsors, which is what people usually mean by the "UK sponsorship list" or "UK sponsor list". Only companies on this register can legally issue a Certificate of Sponsorship to an overseas worker.

VisaSponsorUK downloads and tracks this register from GOV.UK on a daily basis, so the counts below reflect the most recent completed update — last synced 12 July 2026.

The List, in Numbers

Active Sponsors

126,613

Rating A

141,031

Rating B

Most Common Visa Routes

Skilled Worker Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker Tier 2 Ministers of Religion Creative Worker Charity Worker

Top Cities for Sponsors

London Birmingham Manchester Leicester Glasgow Bristol Edinburgh Leeds Nottingham Ilford

How This List Is Compiled

UKVI publishes the Register of Licensed Sponsors as a CSV file, refreshed on an ongoing basis. VisaSponsorUK imports this file daily, tracking every addition, removal, and rating change so you can see not just who's currently licensed, but what's changed recently.

Being listed doesn't guarantee a company has an open sponsored role right now — it means UKVI has approved them to sponsor workers if they choose to. Always confirm directly with an employer whether a specific vacancy comes with visa sponsorship.

Search the Full Sponsorship List

Look up a specific company, or browse the full register by city, visa route, or rating.

Search by Company Name Browse the Full Sponsor List