How UK sponsorship works — and how to apply

This section is built from the UK Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors: the official list of every organisation allowed to sponsor foreign workers. It tells you who can sponsor — but, unlike the US, the UK does not publish what sponsors pay. Here is how the process works.

What a "licensed sponsor" is

To hire someone who needs a visa, a UK employer must hold a sponsor licence from the Home Office. Only licensed organisations can sponsor a Skilled Worker (or other work-route) visa. If an employer is not on the register, they cannot sponsor you — which is exactly why checking the register first saves wasted applications.

The Skilled Worker route, step by step

• Get a job offer from a licensed sponsor for an eligible occupation.
• The employer assigns you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) — a reference number for your specific role, not a paper certificate.
• You must meet a points-based test: the job at the required skill level, English language, and at least the minimum salary for that occupation.
• You apply for the visa using the CoS, pay the fee and health surcharge, and — if approved — can start work.

How to use this register to apply smarter

• Confirm a company can sponsor. Search the A–Z directory before applying.
• Find sponsors near you. Browse sponsors by city.
• Check the route. Most sponsors hold the Skilled Worker route; some also hold Global Business Mobility, Scale-up and others.

Before you hit apply

Sponsored roles attract hundreds of applicants and most are filtered by software before a person reads them. Make your resume ATS-ready and tuned to the job — EvoResume scans it free.

This is general information, not immigration or legal advice. For authoritative rules and current salary thresholds, see gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa. A licence is not a job offer or a guarantee of sponsorship.