Marketing and media companies that sponsor visas in the UK

On 5 October 2026, 2,041 marketing and media 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.

Marketing and media employers hold a Skilled Worker licence: 2,041
of them are in London: 63%

Where marketing and media sponsors are

London has 63% of them. Outside London, the largest groups are in Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham.

Marketing and media Skilled Worker sponsors by town, Home Office register, 5 October 2026
Town or city	Sponsors	Share of the sector
London	1,284	62.9%
Manchester	38	1.9%
Bristol	29	1.4%
Birmingham	27	1.3%
Glasgow	20	1.0%
Edinburgh	19	0.9%
Leeds	16	0.8%
Newcastle upon Tyne	13	0.6%
Sheffield	13	0.6%
Brighton	12	0.6%

Examples on the register

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

Examples, not a ranking. Not affiliated with Visavi.

WPP Media UK Limited

London. A rating.
Check WPP Media UK Limited on the register
Publicis Limited

London. A rating.
Check Publicis Limited on the register
M&C Saatchi PLC

London. A rating.
Check M&C Saatchi PLC on the register
Havas Media Limited

London. A rating.
Check Havas Media Limited on the register
British Broadcasting Corporation

Birmingham. A rating.
Check British Broadcasting Corporation on the register
ITV plc

London. A rating.
Check ITV plc on the register
CHANNEL 4 TELEVISION CORPORATION

London. A rating.
Check CHANNEL 4 TELEVISION CORPORATION on the register
The Financial Times Ltd

London. A rating.
Check The Financial Times Ltd on the register
Reach plc

London. A rating.
Check Reach plc on the register

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

What the marketing and media 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.

Marketing and media Skilled Worker sponsors by SIC 2007 code, Home Office register, 5 October 2026, matched to Companies House
Activity	Sponsors	Share of the sector
Advertising agencies SIC code 73110	605	29.6%
Video production activities SIC code 59112	199	9.8%
Motion picture production activities SIC code 59111	197	9.7%
Other publishing activities SIC code 58190	190	9.3%
Media representation services SIC code 73120	138	6.8%
Market research and public opinion polling SIC code 73200	132	6.5%
Television programme production activities SIC code 59113	92	4.5%
Book publishing SIC code 58110	86	4.2%

Contains Companies House data.

Roles typically hired in marketing and media

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
Marketing manager	2432	£50,100	£35,000
Social media manager	2493	£37,000	£33,400
Graphic designer	2142	£33,400	£33,400
Journalist	2492	£34,000	£33,400
UX designer	2141	£43,800	£33,400
Business development manager	3556	£55,200	£38,600

How to check a marketing and media 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: divisions 73, 59 and 60, and group 58.1). 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 marketing and media sponsors

Do marketing and media companies sponsor visas?

Many do. On 5 October 2026, 2,041 marketing and media employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register.

Which marketing and media companies sponsor visas?

Examples on the register on 5 October 2026 include WPP Media UK Limited, Publicis Limited, M&C Saatchi PLC and Havas Media Limited. Search any other employer by name in the sponsor check.

Where are most marketing and media sponsors?

By the register's own town column, the largest groups are in London (1,284), Manchester (38), Bristol (29), Birmingham (27) and Glasgow (20).

Do any marketing and media sponsors hold a B rating?

On 5 October 2026, 1 of the 2,041 marketing and media 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.