How to find a job that sponsors your visa in the UK

Key points

• On 5 October 2026, 121,996 organisations held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register. An employer needs a licence to sponsor a Skilled Worker visa. The register changes often, so check the latest register on gov.uk before you rule an employer out.
• The register lists legal names, so a well-known brand may appear under a name ending in Limited, Ltd or LLP.
• A licence means an employer can sponsor. It is not a promise that it will sponsor this job.
• An advert line such as "Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK" means the employer is not offering sponsorship for that job.
• The salary usually has to be at least £41,700 or the going rate, whichever is higher. New entrants can be paid less, but not below £33,400.

How can you check if a company can sponsor you?

The Home Office publishes a register of every organisation licensed to sponsor workers. It is a spreadsheet on gov.uk, updated most working days, with one row per organisation and licence route: the organisation’s name, its town, its type and rating, and the route it can sponsor on.

On the copy published on 5 October 2026, 121,996 organisations held a Skilled Worker licence. An employer needs a licence to sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, whatever an advert or a recruiter says. The register changes often, so check the latest register on gov.uk before you rule an employer out. New sponsor licences lists the employers added since the previous copy.

You can search the register yourself on gov.uk, or type a company name into the Visavi sponsor check, which searches the same data in your browser. One tip: the register lists legal names, which can differ from brand names. If a well-known company does not come up, try its legal name, often ending in Limited, Ltd or LLP.

A licence is not a promise

A licence means an employer can sponsor. It is not a promise that they will. Plenty of licensed employers only sponsor certain roles, or only experienced hires, and some hold a licence but rarely use it.

That is why the advert matters as much as the register. Look for the sentence about sponsorship and take it at its word:

• A clear yes reads like “We welcome applications from candidates who require visa sponsorship.” That is the employer telling you the door is open, though it is still not a guarantee.
• A clear no reads like “Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK.” A licence elsewhere in the company does not change that answer for this job.
• No sentence at all is the most common case. Check the licence, then ask the recruiter directly before you invest hours.

Does the job meet the visa rules?

The employer’s licence is only half of it. The job itself has to qualify. In broad terms the rules look at two things:

• The occupation. Every job is matched to an occupation code. New Skilled Worker applications generally need an occupation at graduate level (RQF level 6 or above), with some exceptions set out on gov.uk.
• The salary. Usually the higher of the general threshold, £41,700, and the going rate for the occupation. New entrants, including many people switching from a Student or Graduate visa, can be paid less: 70% of the going rate, but not below £33,400.

Our guide to salary thresholds and going rates shows the numbers for common graduate roles, and each role page shows the rates for that job.

Where are the licensed employers?

Licensed employers are spread across the UK, but they cluster. These are the towns with the most Skilled Worker licences on the current register:

Each town has its own page with the count, the nearby towns within commuting distance, and examples from the register. See all towns and cities.

Which sectors are on the register?

The register covers employers across many sectors, from banks and law firms to universities, NHS trusts and engineering firms. Every employer on it can be checked by name on the sponsor check. Companies that sponsor visas groups the licensed employers by sector and town, so you can start from the industry you want to work in.

• Tech
• Finance and insurance
• Accounting
• Law
• Consulting
• Engineering and architecture
• Science and research
• Marketing and media
• Healthcare
• Social care
• Education
• Construction and property
• Manufacturing
• Energy and utilities
• Transport and logistics
• Retail

For health jobs, the NHS visa sponsorship guide covers the Health and Care Worker visa. For graduate roles in general, the graduate jobs guide shows the roles with the lowest salary bar for new entrants.

A routine that saves you hours

1. Check the licence first. If the employer is not on the register, check the latest register on gov.uk before you move on.
2. Read the sponsorship line in the advert. A clear no is a no, even from a licensed employer.
3. Check the salary against the going rate for the occupation the job is likely to be coded under. The salary check does the comparison.
4. Tailor your CV to the job. Sponsored roles attract a lot of applicants, so a CV that answers the advert line by line matters.
5. After an offer, ask about the Certificate of Sponsorship. It is the step that turns an offer into a visa application. Our Certificate of Sponsorship guide lists the questions to ask.

How Visavi does this for you

Visavi checks every employer against the Home Office register before a job reaches you, and leaves out adverts that say they will not sponsor. Each job shows its evidence: the register row, the employer’s own words, and the salary against the threshold. When you swipe right, Visavi tailors your CV and fills in the employer’s form. Review-before-send is on by default.

It can’t promise you a job. Nothing honest can. It makes sure your effort only goes where it can pay off.