Care companies that sponsor visas in the UK
On 5 October 2026, 5,579 social care employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register. That is 4.6% of the 121,996 Skilled Worker sponsors, matched to Companies House by registered name. Since 22 July 2025, care worker and senior care worker jobs can no longer be sponsored for people applying from outside the UK.
Home Office register, 5 October 2026. Companies House data, 1 October 2026.
- Social care employers hold a Skilled Worker licence
- 5,579
- of them are in London
- 10%
Where social care sponsors are
London has 10% of them. Outside London, the largest groups are in Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham.
| Town or city | Sponsors | Share of the sector |
|---|---|---|
| London | 557 | 10.0% |
| Birmingham | 124 | 2.2% |
| Leicester | 103 | 1.8% |
| Nottingham | 76 | 1.4% |
| Manchester | 59 | 1.1% |
| Bristol | 57 | 1.0% |
| Harrow | 54 | 1.0% |
| Northampton | 50 | 0.9% |
| Coventry | 43 | 0.8% |
| Ilford | 42 | 0.8% |
Examples on the register
Some well-known social care employers that held a Skilled Worker licence on 5 October 2026.
Examples, not a ranking. Not affiliated with Visavi.
-
HC-One Limited
Check HC-One Limited on the register -
BARCHESTER HEALTHCARE LIMITED
Check BARCHESTER HEALTHCARE LIMITED on the register -
Anchor Hanover Group
Check Anchor Hanover Group on the register -
Care UK Care Services Ltd
Check Care UK Care Services Ltd on the register -
Runwood Homes Ltd
Check Runwood Homes Ltd on the register -
Royal Mencap Society
Check Royal Mencap Society on the register -
Leonard Cheshire Disability
Check Leonard Cheshire Disability on the register
Each name is checked against the register published on 5 October 2026, every time this page is built.
What the rules say about care worker jobs
From 22 July 2025, the Home Office guidance says employers can no longer sponsor care workers or senior care workers (occupation codes 6135 and 6136) for people applying for entry clearance from outside the UK.
Someone already in the UK can only be sponsored for one of these jobs if they have legally worked for that employer as a care worker or senior care worker for at least 3 months before the certificate of sponsorship is assigned, or were already granted Skilled Worker permission in one of these jobs and have held permission continuously since. Applications using the 3-month route must be made by 22 July 2028.
Other jobs in care, such as nursing, follow their own rules. Check the current rules on gov.uk.
Workers and Temporary Workers: sponsor a Skilled Worker (gov.uk)
What the social care sponsors do
Companies House records what each company does as a SIC 2007 code. These are the codes that placed the most sponsors on this page, in Companies House's own words.
| Activity | Sponsors | Share of the sector |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care activities for the elderly and disabled SIC code 87300 | 1,280 | 22.9% |
| Residential nursing care facilities SIC code 87100 | 1,112 | 19.9% |
| Social work activities without accommodation for the elderly and disabled SIC code 88100 | 889 | 15.9% |
| Residential care activities for learning difficulties, mental health and substance abuse SIC code 87200 | 807 | 14.5% |
| Other residential care activities n.e.c. SIC code 87900 | 790 | 14.2% |
| Other social work activities without accommodation n.e.c. SIC code 88990 | 492 | 8.8% |
| Child day-care activities SIC code 88910 | 209 | 3.7% |
Contains Companies House data.
Roles typically hired in social care
Each role page shows the going rate the Home Office sets for that job and how the salary rules work.
| Role | Occupation code |
|---|---|
| Nurse | 2231, 2232, 2233, 2234, 2235, 2236, 2237 |
| Social worker | 2461 |
| Occupational therapist | 2222 |
| Physiotherapist | 2221 |
- Going rate
- Pay scale
- New-entrant rate
- Does not apply
How to check a social care employer
- Search the employer in the sponsor check, or on gov.uk.
- Match the exact registered name and the town. Big groups often hold the licence in one company's name, which can differ from the brand on the advert.
- Read the route and the rating. You need the route "Skilled Worker", and an A rating.
What to know before you apply
- The job has to meet the salary rules. Health and education jobs on national pay scales need at least £25,000 a year and the pay-scale rate for the job, whichever is higher. Other jobs usually need the higher of £41,700 a year and the going rate, and some people, for example those under 26 or switching from a Student or Graduate visa, can be paid 70% of the going rate, as long as it is at least £33,400. gov.uk
- From 22 July 2025, a Skilled Worker job must normally be at graduate level (RQF 6), unless it is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List.
- Read the advert's sponsorship line. "Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK" is a no, even from a licensed employer.
- A licence means they can sponsor. It is not a promise that they will. Visavi shows you the evidence per job.
Doctors, nurses and many other health professionals are usually sponsored on the Health and Care Worker visa, which the Home Office describes as a special subcategory of the Skilled Worker route.
How we sort sponsors into sectors
We match each sponsor's registered name to Companies House data from 1 October 2026, keep only names that match exactly one active company, and read that company's industry codes (SIC 2007: divisions 87 and 88). 85.9% of Skilled Worker sponsors matched. Sponsors we could not match are not counted here, and nor are any that joined the register after 5 October 2026, the copy we matched.
Contains Companies House data.
See every sector: Companies that sponsor visas in the UK
Questions about social care sponsors
Do care companies sponsor visas?
Many hold a licence, but since 22 July 2025 care worker and senior care worker jobs cannot be sponsored for people applying from outside the UK. On 5 October 2026, 5,579 social care employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register.
Which care companies sponsor visas?
Examples on the register on 5 October 2026 include HC-One Limited, BARCHESTER HEALTHCARE LIMITED, Anchor Hanover Group and Care UK Care Services Ltd. Search any other employer by name in the sponsor check.
Where are most social care sponsors?
By the register's own town column, the largest groups are in London (557), Birmingham (124), Leicester (103), Nottingham (76) and Manchester (59).
Do any social care sponsors hold a B rating?
On 5 October 2026, 32 of the 5,579 social care sponsors counted here held a B rating. None of the examples named on this page did. A B-rated sponsor generally cannot sponsor new workers until it is back to an A rating.
Is this immigration advice?
No. General information only. For advice, talk to a regulated immigration adviser.
Sources
- Register of licensed sponsors: workers (gov.uk)
- Companies House free company data product
- Immigration system statistics data tables (gov.uk)
- Skilled Worker visa: your job (gov.uk)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations (gov.uk)
- Workers and Temporary Workers: sponsor a Skilled Worker (gov.uk)
- Health and Care Worker visa (gov.uk)
General information, not immigration advice. Rules change: always check gov.uk.
For advice about your own situation, talk to a regulated immigration adviser. Find a regulated adviser on gov.uk.
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