Engineering and architecture firms that sponsor visas in the UK

On 5 October 2026, 2,020 engineering and architecture employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register. That is 1.7% 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.

Engineering and architecture employers hold a Skilled Worker licence: 2,020
of them are in London: 34%

Where engineering and architecture sponsors are

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

Engineering and architecture Skilled Worker sponsors by town, Home Office register, 5 October 2026
Town or city	Sponsors	Share of the sector
London	682	33.8%
Manchester	50	2.5%
Bristol	49	2.4%
Birmingham	33	1.6%
Glasgow	33	1.6%
Edinburgh	31	1.5%
Nottingham	28	1.4%
Cambridge	23	1.1%
Aberdeen	20	1.0%
Coventry	20	1.0%

Examples on the register

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

Examples, not a ranking. Not affiliated with Visavi.

AECOM LIMITED

London. A rating.
Check AECOM LIMITED on the register
AtkinsRealis UK Limited

London. A rating.
Check AtkinsRealis UK Limited on the register
Jacobs UK Ltd

Wokingham. A rating.
Check Jacobs UK Ltd on the register
Mott MacDonald Ltd

London. A rating.
Check Mott MacDonald Ltd on the register
WSP Group Limited

London. A rating.
Check WSP Group Limited on the register
Buro Happold Engineers Limited

Bath. A rating.
Check Buro Happold Engineers Limited on the register
Ramboll UK Limited

London. A rating.
Check Ramboll UK Limited on the register
Foster + Partners Limited

London. A rating.
Check Foster + Partners Limited on the register
Zaha Hadid Limited

London. A rating.
Check Zaha Hadid Limited on the register

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

What the engineering and architecture 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.

Engineering and architecture Skilled Worker sponsors by SIC 2007 code, Home Office register, 5 October 2026, matched to Companies House
Activity	Sponsors	Share of the sector
Architectural activities SIC code 71111	601	29.8%
Engineering related scientific and technical consulting activities SIC code 71122	494	24.5%
Other engineering activities SIC code 71129	493	24.4%
Engineering design activities for industrial process and production SIC code 71121	224	11.1%
Technical testing and analysis SIC code 71200	129	6.4%
Urban planning and landscape architectural activities SIC code 71112	79	3.9%

Contains Companies House data.

Roles typically hired in engineering and architecture

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
Civil engineer	2121	£50,400	£35,200
Mechanical engineer	2122	£46,800	£33,400
Electrical engineer	2123	£58,700	£41,100
Architect	2451	£47,600	£33,400
Quantity surveyor	2453	£48,600	£34,100
Urban planner	2452	£35,800	£33,400
Environmental consultant	2152	£37,200	£33,400

In the year to June 2026, the Home Office granted 5,310 Skilled Worker entry clearance visas to main applicants applying from outside the UK for jobs in the "Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities" industry. That industry also covers law, accounting, consulting, research and advertising firms, so the figure is not for engineering and architecture alone.

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 engineering and architecture 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. Usually that is the higher of £41,700 a year and the going rate for the job. 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.

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 71). 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 engineering and architecture sponsors

Do engineering and architecture firms sponsor visas?

Many do. On 5 October 2026, 2,020 engineering and architecture employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register.

Which engineering and architecture firms sponsor visas?

Examples on the register on 5 October 2026 include AECOM LIMITED, AtkinsRealis UK Limited, Jacobs UK Ltd and Mott MacDonald Ltd. Search any other employer by name in the sponsor check.

Where are most engineering and architecture sponsors?

By the register's own town column, the largest groups are in London (682), Manchester (50), Bristol (49), Birmingham (33) and Glasgow (33).

Do any engineering and architecture sponsors hold a B rating?

None of the 2,020 engineering and architecture sponsors counted here held a B rating on 5 October 2026.

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.