How to check a UK employer in 5 minutes
Any UK employer that gives a Skilled Worker visa must be on the Register of Licensed Sponsors on gov.uk. If they are not there, they are either a scammer or their licence has been revoked. The check is free and takes 5 minutes. This page is a step-by-step walkthrough.
From July 2024 to June 2025 — 1,948 sponsor licences revoked. From February to April 2026 — another 1,917 (about 29 revocations per day). Out of ~28,000 displaced workers in the care sector only 3.4% found a new sponsor in the allowed time (Work Rights Centre). Do not rely only on the employer's word.
Step 1 — Register of Licensed Sponsors
Official list of all legal sponsors. In 2026 it is updated almost every day. You can download it as CSV or view it as an HTML list.
What to look at in the register
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Organisation Name | Full legal name of the company (must match your offer letter and CoS exactly) |
| Town/City, County | Registered address — check against Companies House |
| Type & Rating | A-rating — normal; B-rating — on probation (see below) |
| Route | Must include "Worker" / "Skilled Worker" — not only "Student" |
B-rating means the Home Office found problems with the sponsor. Statistically, B-rating sponsors have about 15 times higher chance of licence revocation than A-rating sponsors. B-rating is not a ban, but it is a strong reason to ask the employer questions.
- The sponsor name in the register must match your offer letter exactly — including "Ltd" / "Limited", capital letters, punctuation. A one-letter typo does not mean the company is missing; check directly with them.
- Re-check shortly before signing the contract — the register updates daily, a licence can be revoked between your first and second check.
Step 2 — Companies House
Free register of all UK companies. Check the following:
Red flags in Companies House
A real employer with history usually has multi-year filings. A new company with hundreds of "vacancies" is suspicious.
Not illegal, but combined with other signals it is a sign of a shell company.
Example: Efficiency for Care issued 1,234 CoS with a real staff of 16–152 (BBC Africa Eye investigation, 2025).
Search the director's name in Companies House — history of other companies under that name is free.
From 18 November 2025 — directors and PSCs (people who control the company) must verify their identity through GOV.UK One Login. By November 2026 — full rollout. Anonymous proxy-directors become harder to hide.
Step 3 — Cross-check with CoS
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is a virtual document with a unique number. It must show:
- Exact legal name of the sponsor (matching the register)
- Sponsor licence number — you can and should check it
- Your job title and SOC code for the occupation
- Your salary — must meet the threshold for the SOC code
- Place of work (address)
If the employer refuses to give you the sponsor licence number for cross-check before you sign the contract — this is a critical signal. Any legitimate sponsor will not hide this information: it is publicly available in the register.
Step 4 — Disqualified Directors (free)
If a director or PSC of your potential sponsor is in this register — critical red flag. Disqualification means a court banned them from running companies.
Why a single check is not enough
Licence revocation can happen at any time — including between your CoS and your actual entry to the UK. If this happens, you have 60 days to find a new sponsor.
The register updates almost daily. A CSV file you downloaded a week ago may not include the latest revocations.
At minimum: when you get an offer, before signing the contract, before paying for the visa.