How to verify your employer is a licensed UK sponsor

Before you accept a job offer or pay any fees, you should verify that your employer is authorised to sponsor workers under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker routes. The UKVI Register of Licensed Sponsors is a public database. Anyone can search it.

Step 1: Search the UKVI Register of Licensed Sponsors.

Visit the official GOV.UK page for the Register of Licensed Sponsors. Enter the employer name or a partial name. The register shows: the organisation name, licence rating (A or B), and the routes they are licensed for.

If the employer does not appear on the register, they cannot legally issue a Certificate of Sponsorship. This is the single most important check you can make.

Step 2: Understand the licence rating.

An A-rated sponsor is fully authorised. A B-rated sponsor has been downgraded and faces restrictions — they may not be able to issue new CoS until they rectify compliance issues. If the rating is blank or missing, the licence may have been revoked.

Step 3: Cross-reference with Companies House.

Search the employer on Companies House to confirm they are a registered, active UK company. Check that the registered name matches the name on the UKVI register. Fraudsters sometimes use slight variations of real company names.

Step 4: Contact the employer directly.

Find the company's official phone number through their website or directory listings — not through any number provided by a recruiter. Call and ask to speak to HR. Ask them to confirm they have issued a Certificate of Sponsorship in your name.

A genuine employer will be able to confirm your sponsorship. If the switchboard has no record of you, walk away.

1. 1

   Check the UKVI Register first.

   This is the most important check and it is completely free. If the employer is not listed, they cannot sponsor you.

2. 2

   Verify the Companies House record.

   Confirm the company is active and the registered name matches what you have been told.

3. 3

   Call the employer directly.

   Use a phone number you find independently. Do not rely on numbers provided by recruiters.