Schools and education employers that sponsor visas in the UK

On 5 October 2026, 2,857 education employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register. That is 2.3% of the 121,996 Skilled Worker sponsors, matched to Companies House by registered name.

Home Office register, 5 October 2026. Companies House data, 1 October 2026.

Education employers hold a Skilled Worker licence: 2,857
of them are in London: 34%

Where education sponsors are

London has 34% of them. Outside London, the largest groups are in Birmingham, Manchester and Oxford.

Education Skilled Worker sponsors by town, Home Office register, 5 October 2026
Town or city	Sponsors	Share of the sector
London	962	33.7%
Birmingham	80	2.8%
Manchester	62	2.2%
Oxford	36	1.3%
Cambridge	33	1.2%
Ilford	33	1.2%
Liverpool	23	0.8%
Nottingham	23	0.8%
Bristol	21	0.7%
Romford	20	0.7%

Examples on the register

Some well-known education employers that held a Skilled Worker licence on 5 October 2026.

Examples, not a ranking. Not affiliated with Visavi.

University of Oxford

Oxford. A rating.
Check University of Oxford on the register
University College London

London. A rating.
Check University College London on the register
King's College London

London. A rating.
Check King's College London on the register
The University of Manchester

Manchester. A rating.
Check The University of Manchester on the register
University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh. A rating.
Check University of Edinburgh on the register
Teach First

London. A rating.
Check Teach First on the register
Harris Federation

Croydon. A rating.
Check Harris Federation on the register
British Council

London. A rating.
Check British Council on the register
Pearson plc

London. A rating.
Check Pearson plc on the register

Each name is checked against the register published on 5 October 2026, every time this page is built.

What the education 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.

Education Skilled Worker sponsors by SIC 2007 code, Home Office register, 5 October 2026, matched to Companies House
Activity	Sponsors	Share of the sector
Other education n.e.c. SIC code 85590	685	24.0%
Educational support services SIC code 85600	488	17.1%
Pre-primary education SIC code 85100	436	15.3%
Primary education SIC code 85200	397	13.9%
General secondary education SIC code 85310	368	12.9%
First-degree level higher education SIC code 85421	123	4.3%
Technical and vocational secondary education SIC code 85320	115	4.0%
Cultural education SIC code 85520	97	3.4%

Contains Companies House data.

Roles typically hired in education

Each role page shows the going rate the Home Office sets for that job and how the salary rules work.

Going rates from Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations, checked on gov.uk on 6 October 2026
Role	Occupation code	Going rate	New-entrant rate
Secondary school teacher	2313	Pay scale	Does not apply
Primary school teacher	2314	Pay scale	Does not apply
University lecturer	2311	£52,600	£36,800
Further education lecturer	2312	Pay scale	Does not apply

In the year to June 2026, the Home Office granted 1,720 Skilled Worker entry clearance visas to main applicants applying from outside the UK for jobs in the "Education" industry.

Home Office immigration statistics, published 27 August 2026. Employers choose their own industry when they sponsor, and figures from 2026 are provisional. Immigration system statistics data tables (gov.uk)

How to check a education 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.

Universities set up by royal charter or act of parliament are not companies, so many are not in this count. 233 Skilled Worker sponsors have "University" in their registered name, though that also takes in some hospital trusts, students' unions and university presses.

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: division 85). 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 education sponsors

Do schools and education employers sponsor visas?

Many do. On 5 October 2026, 2,857 education employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register.

Which schools and education employers sponsor visas?

Examples on the register on 5 October 2026 include University of Oxford, University College London, King's College London and The University of Manchester. Search any other employer by name in the sponsor check.

Where are most education sponsors?

By the register's own town column, the largest groups are in London (962), Birmingham (80), Manchester (62), Oxford (36) and Cambridge (33).

How many Skilled Worker visas went to the Education industry?

In the year to June 2026, the Home Office granted 1,720 Skilled Worker entry clearance visas to main applicants applying from outside the UK for jobs in the "Education" industry.

Do any education sponsors hold a B rating?

On 5 October 2026, 2 of the 2,857 education 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

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.