Law firms that sponsor visas in the UK

On 5 October 2026, 760 law employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register. That is 0.6% 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.

Law employers hold a Skilled Worker licence: 760
of them are in London: 44%

Where law sponsors are

London has 44% of them. Outside London, the largest groups are in Manchester, Birmingham and Ilford.

Law Skilled Worker sponsors by town, Home Office register, 5 October 2026
Town or city	Sponsors	Share of the sector
London	335	44.1%
Manchester	39	5.1%
Birmingham	30	3.9%
Ilford	13	1.7%
Leicester	12	1.6%
Bolton	10	1.3%
Glasgow	10	1.3%
Hounslow	10	1.3%
Luton	9	1.2%
Blackburn	7	0.9%

Examples on the register

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

Examples, not a ranking. Not affiliated with Visavi.

Clifford Chance LLP

London. A rating.
Check Clifford Chance LLP on the register
Linklaters

London. A rating.
Check Linklaters on the register
Slaughter and May

London. A rating.
Check Slaughter and May on the register
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

London. A rating.
Check Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP on the register
DLA Piper UK LLP

London. A rating.
Check DLA Piper UK LLP on the register
Hogan Lovells International LLP

London. A rating.
Check Hogan Lovells International LLP on the register
Pinsent Masons LLP

Birmingham. A rating.
Check Pinsent Masons LLP on the register
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Birmingham. A rating.
Check Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP on the register
Ashurst LLP

London. A rating.
Check Ashurst LLP on the register

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

What the law 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.

Law Skilled Worker sponsors by SIC 2007 code, Home Office register, 5 October 2026, matched to Companies House
Activity	Sponsors	Share of the sector
Solicitors SIC code 69102	556	73.2%
Activities of patent and copyright agents; other legal activities n.e.c. SIC code 69109	194	25.5%
Barristers at law SIC code 69101	10	1.3%

Contains Companies House data.

Roles typically hired in law

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
Solicitor	2412	£51,600	£36,100
Paralegal	2419	£33,400	£33,400
Tax adviser	2423	£48,500	£34,000
Policy officer	2439	£56,600	£39,600

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 accounting, consulting, engineering, architecture, research and advertising firms, so the figure is not for law 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 law 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.

Many large law firms are limited liability partnerships (LLPs). In the Companies House data, LLPs carry no industry code, so they cannot be placed in a sector and are not in this count, even though many hold a licence. The examples on this page include some of them.

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: group 69.1). 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 law sponsors

Do law firms sponsor visas?

Many do. On 5 October 2026, 760 law employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register, not counting limited liability partnerships, which have no industry code at Companies House.

Which law firms sponsor visas?

Examples on the register on 5 October 2026 include Clifford Chance LLP, Linklaters, Slaughter and May and Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP. Search any other employer by name in the sponsor check.

Where are most law sponsors?

By the register's own town column, the largest groups are in London (335), Manchester (39), Birmingham (30), Ilford (13) and Leicester (12).

Do any law sponsors hold a B rating?

None of the 760 law 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.