What is a sponsor licence?
A sponsor licence is Home Office permission for a UK employer to hire people on work visas such as the Skilled Worker visa. On the 3 November 2026 register, 123,091 of 143,064 licences covered Skilled Worker.
What a licence lets an employer do
With a licence, an employer can assign a certificate of sponsorship, the record you need to apply for a Skilled Worker visa. Only a licensed employer can assign one.
Every licensed employer is on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, with a rating (A or B) and the routes the licence covers. On the register:
| Licence type | Covers | Can it sponsor a Skilled Worker visa? |
|---|---|---|
| Worker | Longer-term work routes. The Route column says which, for example Skilled Worker | Yes, if the Route column lists Skilled Worker |
| Temporary Worker | Short-term routes, such as seasonal or charity work | No |
Our count from the register file of 3 November 2026: 143,064 licences in all, 123,091 of them covering Skilled Worker.
Do I need a sponsor for a Skilled Worker visa?
To get a Skilled Worker visa, yes: the job has to be with a licensed employer. That includes switching from a Graduate or Student visa. GOV.UK says an employer usually needs a licence to employ someone from outside the UK, including EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who arrived after 31 December 2020. People who don’t need sponsoring include:
- Irish citizens
- people with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- people with indefinite leave to remain
A licence is not a job offer
A licence means an employer can sponsor. It still decides role by role, and the job has to meet the Skilled Worker rules on skill level and salary. In our study of 202,073 adverts from licensed sponsors (3 October 2026 to 1 November 2026), 16% ruled sponsorship out for that role. How to read an advert.
Does a sponsor licence expire?
Usually not. GOV.UK says a licence stays valid for as long as the employer keeps meeting the requirements. The exceptions are licences for the Scale-up and UK Expansion Worker routes, which last 4 years.
A licence can also be downgraded to a B rating, suspended or revoked. A revoked licence comes off the register, and the employer has to wait at least 12 months before it can apply again (24 months if it has lost a licence more than once, GOV.UK: eligibility).
Who pays for the licence
The employer. A Worker licence costs £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large one, and GOV.UK says most applications are decided in less than 8 weeks. The employer’s licence may be revoked if it asks the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to the application. To get a licence, UK Visas and Immigration (part of the Home Office) checks the employer has systems and people to manage sponsorship, and may visit.
What it means for your job search
The register is a large spreadsheet, and adverts often use a brand name rather than the legal name on the licence. We match employers to the register each time it updates. Each company page on SponsorJobs shows the licence routes and rating, and the jobs we list are from employers we have matched to it.
Look up an employer · How to check a sponsor licence · New sponsors this week
Common questions
Does a sponsor licence expire?
Usually not. GOV.UK says a licence stays valid for as long as the employer keeps meeting the requirements. Licences for the Scale-up and UK Expansion Worker routes last 4 years.
Can a worker pay for the employer’s sponsor licence?
No. GOV.UK says the employer must pay the fee itself, and its licence may be revoked if it asks the sponsored worker to pay the fee or costs linked to the application.
Does a sponsor licence mean the employer will sponsor me?
No. It means the employer can sponsor. It decides for each role, and the job also has to meet the Skilled Worker skill and salary rules.