Retail companies that sponsor visas in the UK

On 5 October 2026, 14,229 retail employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register. That is 11.7% 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.

Retail employers hold a Skilled Worker licence: 14,229
of them are in London: 22%

Where retail sponsors are

London has 22% of them. Outside London, the largest groups are in Manchester, Birmingham and Leicester.

Retail Skilled Worker sponsors by town, Home Office register, 5 October 2026
Town or city	Sponsors	Share of the sector
London	3,067	21.6%
Manchester	506	3.6%
Birmingham	464	3.3%
Leicester	222	1.6%
Glasgow	218	1.5%
Coventry	155	1.1%
Bristol	133	0.9%
Leeds	130	0.9%
Luton	122	0.9%
Ilford	119	0.8%

Examples on the register

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

Examples, not a ranking. Not affiliated with Visavi.

Tesco Stores Limited

Welwyn Garden City. A rating.
Check Tesco Stores Limited on the register
J Sainsbury Plc

London. A rating.
Check J Sainsbury Plc on the register
Asda Stores Ltd

Leeds. A rating.
Check Asda Stores Ltd on the register
Marks and Spencer Group Plc

London. A rating.
Check Marks and Spencer Group Plc on the register
Aldi Stores Limited

Atherstone. A rating.
Check Aldi Stores Limited on the register
Lidl Great Britain Limited

London. A rating.
Check Lidl Great Britain Limited on the register
Next Retail Ltd

Leicester. A rating.
Check Next Retail Ltd on the register
Ocado Retail Limited

Hatfield. A rating.
Check Ocado Retail Limited on the register
IKEA Ltd.

London. A rating.
Check IKEA Ltd. on the register

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

What the retail 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.

Retail Skilled Worker sponsors by SIC 2007 code, Home Office register, 5 October 2026, matched to Companies House
Activity	Sponsors	Share of the sector
Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating SIC code 47110	4,841	34.0%
Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet SIC code 47910	1,669	11.7%
Other retail sale in non-specialised stores SIC code 47190	1,196	8.4%
Dispensing chemist in specialised stores SIC code 47730	979	6.9%
Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores SIC code 47710	528	3.7%
Other retail sale of food in specialised stores SIC code 47290	432	3.0%
Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets SIC code 47990	383	2.7%
Retail sale of bread, cakes, flour confectionery and sugar confectionery in specialised stores SIC code 47240	370	2.6%

Contains Companies House data.

Roles typically hired in retail

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
Data analyst	3544, 2433, 2133	Varies by code	Varies by code
Business analyst	2431	£50,200	£35,100
Procurement manager	1134	£54,700	£38,300
Logistics manager	1243, 1241	£44,900	£33,400
Pharmacist	2251	Pay scale	Does not apply

In the year to June 2026, the Home Office granted 866 Skilled Worker entry clearance visas to main applicants applying from outside the UK for jobs in the "Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles" industry. That industry also covers wholesale and the motor trade, so the figure is wider than retail.

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 retail 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 47). 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 retail sponsors

Do retail companies sponsor visas?

Many do. On 5 October 2026, 14,229 retail employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register.

Which retail companies sponsor visas?

Examples on the register on 5 October 2026 include Tesco Stores Limited, J Sainsbury Plc, Asda Stores Ltd and Marks and Spencer Group Plc. Search any other employer by name in the sponsor check.

Where are most retail sponsors?

By the register's own town column, the largest groups are in London (3,067), Manchester (506), Birmingham (464), Leicester (222) and Glasgow (218).

Do any retail sponsors hold a B rating?

On 5 October 2026, 2 of the 14,229 retail 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.