Science and research companies that sponsor visas in the UK

On 5 October 2026, 933 science and research employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register. That is 0.8% 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.

Science and research employers hold a Skilled Worker licence: 933
of them are in London: 24%

Where science and research sponsors are

London has 24% of them. Outside London, the largest groups are in Cambridge, Oxford and Abingdon.

Science and research Skilled Worker sponsors by town, Home Office register, 5 October 2026
Town or city	Sponsors	Share of the sector
London	227	24.3%
Cambridge	112	12.0%
Oxford	68	7.3%
Abingdon	19	2.0%
Edinburgh	19	2.0%
Manchester	19	2.0%
Nottingham	17	1.8%
Bristol	16	1.7%
Glasgow	13	1.4%
Norwich	10	1.1%

Examples on the register

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

Examples, not a ranking. Not affiliated with Visavi.

Genome Research Limited

Cambridge. A rating.
Check Genome Research Limited on the register
Babraham Institute

Cambridge. A rating.
Check Babraham Institute on the register
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc.

Oxford. A rating.
Check Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc. on the register
Illumina Cambridge Limited

Great Abington. A rating.
Check Illumina Cambridge Limited on the register
NPL Management Limited

Teddington. A rating.
Check NPL Management Limited on the register
Microsoft Research Limited

Cambridge. A rating.
Check Microsoft Research Limited on the register

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

What the science and research 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.

Science and research Skilled Worker sponsors by SIC 2007 code, Home Office register, 5 October 2026, matched to Companies House
Activity	Sponsors	Share of the sector
Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering SIC code 72190	458	49.1%
Research and experimental development on biotechnology SIC code 72110	417	44.7%
Research and experimental development on social sciences and humanities SIC code 72200	58	6.2%

Contains Companies House data.

Roles typically hired in science and research

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
Chemist	2111	£39,900	£33,400
Biologist	2112	£40,300	£33,400
Biomedical scientist	2113	£45,900	£33,400
Data scientist	2433	£55,100	£38,600
Chemical engineer	2125	£45,000	£33,400
Public health analyst	2115	£40,400	£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, engineering, architecture and advertising firms, so the figure is not for science and research 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 science and research 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.

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 72). 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 science and research sponsors

Do science and research companies sponsor visas?

Many do. On 5 October 2026, 933 science and research employers held a Skilled Worker licence on the Home Office register.

Which science and research companies sponsor visas?

Examples on the register on 5 October 2026 include Genome Research Limited, Babraham Institute, Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc. and Illumina Cambridge Limited. Search any other employer by name in the sponsor check.

Where are most science and research sponsors?

By the register's own town column, the largest groups are in London (227), Cambridge (112), Oxford (68), Abingdon (19) and Edinburgh (19).

Do any science and research sponsors hold a B rating?

On 5 October 2026, 1 of the 933 science and research 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.