Trust & Transparency
Our Data Sources
SponsorShield verifies Certificate of Sponsorship documents using three official data sources: the UKVI Register of Licensed Sponsors (gov.uk), the Companies House public register, and the published Skilled Worker / Health and Care Worker salary thresholds — combined with forensic analysis of the uploaded PDF itself. We do not have access to UKVI's internal CoS database.
UKVI Register of Licensed Sponsors
Published by the UK government on gov.uk as a downloadable CSV, this register lists every organisation licensed to sponsor workers under the points-based immigration system, along with their licence rating (A-rated or B-rated). We use this as the primary source for employer licence verification across both the CoS scan and standalone employer check.
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The UK's official company registrar, accessed via its public REST API. We use Companies House data to check a sponsoring employer's incorporation date, registered status, and filing history — an additional layer of due diligence beyond licence status alone.
Salary and SOC code thresholds
Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker salary thresholds are published by the Home Office and updated periodically. SponsorShield maintains current threshold data and SOC code mappings to validate the salary stated on a CoS against the role's occupation code.
Document forensics (first-party)
Beyond external data sources, we analyse the uploaded PDF itself — embedded metadata, font consistency, and structural formatting — to detect signs of tampering or fabrication. This check is performed entirely in memory and the document is never stored. See our full methodology for how these signals combine into a verdict.
SponsorShield is an independent verification support service. We are not OISC-regulated and do not provide immigration or legal advice. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to UKVI, GOV.UK, the Home Office, or any UK government body. This guide is general information only — always consult an OISC-registered immigration adviser before making immigration decisions. Never pay anyone for a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-19. Data sources: UKVI Register of Licensed Sponsors (gov.uk), Companies House public register, published Home Office salary thresholds. This page is informational only and does not reflect real-time UKVI data — always cross-check current status on gov.uk before relying on it.
Published by SponsorShield. Reviewed for verification accuracy against current UKVI and Companies House data. Not immigration or legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does SponsorShield get its sponsor register data?+
From the official "Worker and Temporary Worker" Register of Licensed Sponsors, published as a CSV by the UK government on gov.uk. SponsorShield downloads and caches this list, refreshing it on a scheduled basis.
How current is the data SponsorShield uses?+
The UKVI sponsor register is refreshed on a scheduled cycle (cached for up to 12 hours for document scans; refreshed daily for employer checks). Companies House data is queried live via API on each check, so it reflects the current public record at the time of your scan.
Does SponsorShield have access to UKVI's internal CoS database?+
No. SponsorShield is an independent service and does not have access to UKVI's internal systems or individual CoS records. Our checks are based entirely on publicly available government and corporate data plus document-level analysis of the PDF you upload.
What is Companies House and why does SponsorShield check it?+
Companies House is the UK's official registrar of companies. Checking a sponsoring employer's Companies House record reveals incorporation date, trading status, and filing history — useful indicators of whether a company is a real, active business rather than a shell used for fraud.
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