How to Check If a UK Company Has a Sponsor Licence

How to check if a UK company has a sponsor licence: use the free checker, read the official register, and spot the warning signs of fake sponsors.

Introduction

A proper uk company sponsor license check takes only a few minutes and is the single most important step before you trust a job offer. Only companies on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship. If a company is not on the register for the right route — or claims it is "in process" — it cannot sponsor you today, whatever a recruiter tells you. This guide shows you exactly how to verify a company, what each result means, and what to do if you cannot find it.

Why This Check Matters

  • Without a licence, there is no CoS, and without a CoS, there is no Skilled Worker visa
  • Scammers use real company names, copied logos, and fake offer letters — the register is your independent proof
  • Licences are suspended and revoked regularly — a company licensed last year may not be licensed now

Do this check yourself. Do not rely on a screenshot sent by an agent.

Step-by-Step: Verify a Company on the Register

Step 1 — Get the exact legal name. Ask for the organisation's full legal name as used with Companies House / the Home Office. Trading names and abbreviations often do not match the register entry.

Step 2 — Search the official register. Use GOV.UK's Register of Licensed Sponsors (Workers), updated on working days. Search by the exact organisation name. Also try our checker tool linked below, which points you to the same official data.

Step 3 — Check the route. Find the row for the route you need — for most jobseekers this is "Worker" (which covers Skilled Worker) — not just any route. A licence for Student or Seasonal Worker does not allow Skilled Worker sponsorship.

Step 4 — Check the rating. Look for A-rated. B-rated sponsors are on an action plan and face restrictions on sponsoring new workers from overseas.

Step 5 — Check the town/city and organisation match. Confirm the location and organisation match the employer in your offer. Large groups may have several similarly named entities — only the exact entity on the register can sponsor you.

Step 6 — Re-check close to your application. The register changes daily as licences are added, suspended, or revoked. A check done months ago is not enough.

What Each Result Means

| What You Find | What It Means | |---------------|---------------| | Listed, Worker route, A-rated | Can sponsor, subject to the job and salary rules | | Listed, but different route only | Cannot sponsor you on Skilled Worker | | Listed, B-rated | Restricted — ask for clarification; new overseas sponsorship is generally paused | | Not listed at all | Cannot sponsor you at this time | | Listed under a different legal name | Verify it is the same legal employer who will employ and pay you |

If You Cannot Find the Company

  1. Try variations: "Ltd" vs "Limited", trading name vs legal name, parent company name
  2. Ask the employer directly for their sponsor licence number and the exact name on the licence
  3. If they say the licence is "pending" — treat the job as not sponsorable until the licence appears on the register
  4. If they ask you to pay for sponsorship while you wait — stop. That is a scam warning sign

Red Flags That a "Sponsor" Is Not Genuine

  • Cannot give you a licence number or exact registered name
  • Offers to "sell" you a Certificate of Sponsorship
  • Uses a free email address and no verifiable business address
  • Pressures you to pay quickly before you "lose the licence slot"
  • Offer letter salary or job title keeps changing

Genuine sponsors can always be found on the register — this check settles arguments quickly.

Your 2-Minute Verification Checklist

Save or screenshot this before you pay or sign anything:

  • [ ] Exact legal name confirmed — not just a trading name or logo
  • [ ] Found on the current register — checked today, not from an old screenshot
  • [ ] Route matches — Worker route for Skilled Worker jobs
  • [ ] Rating is A — not B-rated
  • [ ] Town/city and organisation match your offer letter
  • [ ] Contacted the company via its own official website — job confirmed independently
  • [ ] No payment requested for a CoS or job offer

If any box fails, pause the application and investigate before proceeding.

What this means: This checklist is your evidence. If a dispute or scam arises later, your dated register check and independent contact with the employer show you verified properly.

FAQs

Is being on the register the same as currently hiring? No. Many licensed sponsors have no vacancies right now. The register proves they can sponsor, not that they are recruiting. See our guide to reading the sponsor list.

How often is the register updated? The Home Office updates the published register on working days The Home Office updates the published register on working days — the publication's own update history shows a new edition on each working day (most recently 6 November 2026 when this guide was checked), so a company that gained or lost a licence very recently may not appear correctly until the next update.. Always use the latest version.

A company sponsored someone I know last year. Is that enough proof? No. Licences are suspended and revoked during the year. Re-check the current register for your own application.

Internal Links

Source: GOV.UK Register of Licensed Sponsors · Register updated 06 November 2026 · Page built 06 November 2026.