Last updated: 31 Oct 2026 · Facts checked against official sources on 31 Oct 2026

General information, not legal advice. Rules change often – always confirm on gov.uk. For advice use an OISC-registered adviser or an SRA-regulated solicitor.

Visa sponsorship: how to find and check employers

1. Search the official register

Open the Register of licensed sponsors: workers on gov.uk (updated every working day; we used the 30 Oct 2026 file – 122,378 organisations licensed for the Skilled Worker route).
Download the CSV and filter column Route = “Skilled Worker”. Search by legal entity name (e.g. “Infosys Limited”, not “Infosys”), then check the town.
Rating “Worker (A rating)” means fully licensed. Any other rating, or the employer missing from the list, is a reason to ask questions.

2. Check the role, not just the company

Being on the register doesn’t mean every job is sponsored. Check the SOC code is eligible on the eligible occupations list, the salary meets the going rate in Appendix Skilled Occupations, and the advert says sponsorship is available.

3. Red flags & scams

Never pay for a Certificate of Sponsorship or a job. Sponsors must not pass the CoS fee or Immigration Skills Charge to you (Home Office sponsor guidance part 2).
Agents promising “guaranteed sponsorship” for a fee, jobs paid well below the going rate, “salary refunds” back to the employer, or companies with no real trading history.
Report suspected abuse: gov.uk report immigration crime and fraud to Action Fraud.

4. Timing

Many large graduate schemes open in autumn for the following year – check each employer’s deadlines (general observation, not a rule).
A Skilled Worker application can be made up to 3 months before the job start date; decisions usually take 3 weeks outside / 8 weeks inside the UK.
Graduate visa holders: start applying early in the visa – leave enough time for the employer to assign a CoS.

5. Prove your right to work

Employers check your status online with a share code from View and prove your immigration status; they use Prove your right to work.

🔍 What most guides don’t tell you

Lesser-known details taken directly from official documents (Immigration Rules, Home Office sponsor guidance, gov.uk), checked 31 Oct 2026. Not from social media.

The CoS fee for Worker licences is £525 per certificate and, for Skilled Worker CoS assigned on or after 31 Dec 2024, the employer must not recoup any of it (or the ISC) from you – by any means. Sponsors found doing so normally lose their licence. Source: gov.uk
Sponsors must not recover the CoS fee, its admin costs or the Immigration Skills Charge from you (sponsor guidance S2.13 and S5.7). A 'training bond' or salary deduction that claws these back is a red flag. Source: Home Office sponsor guidance Part 2
There are two kinds of CoS. 'Defined' CoS are for Skilled Workers applying from outside the UK and must be requested one at a time. 'Undefined' CoS (for in-UK switchers, e.g. from Student or Graduate) come from the employer's annual allocation. If your employer's allocation is used up, they must request more – a common hidden delay. Source: Home Office sponsor guidance Part 2 (S2.8–S2.10)
The employer – not the Home Office – chooses your SOC occupation code, and UKVI says it 'cannot help' with that choice. A wrong code can lead to delay or refusal; deliberately mis-coding to pass salary rules can cost the sponsor its licence. Ask which code is on your CoS and check it matches your real duties. Source: Home Office sponsor guidance Part 2 (S3.38–S3.39)
If an employer you like is not licensed, it can apply – but the licence fee is £611 (small) or £1,682 (medium/large) and processing usually takes around 8 weeks. Factor this into your Graduate-visa timeline. Source: gov.uk
The sponsor register CSV has two columns most people ignore: 'Route' (an employer can be licensed only for e.g. Scale-up or Global Business Mobility, not Skilled Worker) and 'Type & Rating'. In the 30 Oct 2026 file, 102 rows were 'Worker (B rating)' and 97 were 'UK Expansion Worker: Provisional'. Source: gov.uk
You must apply for your visa within 3 months of being assigned your CoS – a CoS issued too early can expire before you are ready. Source: gov.uk

Community insights & lesser-known tips not official

Students on r/ukvisa recommend starting the job hunt ~8 months before your Graduate/Student visa ends because employers may need weeks to get a CoS allocated. — source
Another r/IndiansInUK thread stresses targeting employers already on the sponsor register rather than mass-applying. — source

Sources

Register of licensed sponsors — checked 31 Oct 2026
Eligible occupations — checked 31 Oct 2026
Appendix Skilled Occupations — checked 31 Oct 2026
Sponsor guidance part 2 — checked 31 Oct 2026
Report immigration crime — checked 31 Oct 2026
Prove right to work — checked 31 Oct 2026